Jell-O Flower Pots

This is a 1953 pamphlet cookbook on Jell-O as it is listed here. I was intrigued by the Jell-O Flower Pots on the back cover. Here are the instructions:

For tulip time (as shown on cover)....Dissolve 1 package Strawberry or Lime Jell-O in 1 cup hot water.  Add 1 cup cold water and pour into custard cups.  Chill.

Make tulips from gumdrops, using a large round gumdrop cut in half for base and blossom, and a long green gumdrop for leaf and stems.  (Cut with scissors to shape petals and leaves as shown on cover.)  Put flowers together with toothpicks.  Place on firm Jell-O and garnish with whipped cream.

This seems like a lot of work. Why not just make a shape of a flower with several gumdrops and put it right on the whipped cream on the Jell-O? Imagine trying to serve these without knocking them over. Also - how on earth do you make a gumdrop into a flat tulip shape? There is a lot of suggestions for gumdrop art in the 1950's cookbooks. I have one recipe that calls for rolling it out with a rolling pin and tying it into a bow...