'Tis the Season to Give....A (Partially!) Edible Christmas Craft

Although the impending holidays are a time to celebrate, decorate, eat, and be merry, it's also a prime opportunity to teach our children the importance and the reward of giving to others. Most kids receive many gifts these days,  and often aren't aware of the many folks who are lonely and forgotten during the holidays. My family enjoys giving to needy families at this time of year. We also enjoy providing shut-ins and nursing home residents with a bit of holiday cheer.

The following craft takes just minutes to make. Children ages 4 and up will have no trouble with a little adult supervision. And best of all, with the use of some leftover Halloween candy-and who doesn't have some of that?-the overall expense is nominal. It will truly delight senior citizens when they see a child or grown-up come to call bearing this homemade offering. And truly, aren't homemade gifts the best? It's almost like a little piece of its creator is inside every homemade gift. And isn't that a great part of what the holidays are all about?

Materials Needed:

One styrofoam cone, approximately 8-inches high

Leftover Halloween chocolate candy, unwrapped

½ cup Wilton or other brand chocolate candy melts

Toothpicks

Cellophane

Ribbon

½ cup white icing*

(2)    1 and ½-2 inch star shaped sugar cookies

6 to 8 inch square of sturdy cardboard

*White icing is made by mixing confectioner's sugar and water or milk until smooth and thick like glue.

Melt the candy melts in a microwave-two minutes on defrost, then two minutes on full power. With a pastry brush "paint" the cone with chocolate. Allow chocolate to dry. Paint the bottom of the cone, and adhere to cardboard.

Using the leftover chocolate bars, starting at the base of the cone, toothpick each to the cone until rows are formed. Eventually the entire cone will be covered with chocolate. Put a dab of icing on a few of the chocolate pieces, and adorn with decorative candies.

Spread about a teaspoon of icing between the two star cookies, and insert a toothpick. Allow icing to dry. Decorate the star with additional icing and candies. Insert the toothpick to the top of the cone.

Decorate the "base" of the tree by fastening colorful candies like M & M's, skittles, lifesavers or hard candies with dabs of the icing.

Wrap the entire "tree" with cellophane, and tie with ribbon at the top.

Spread the holiday cheer!  (Also makes a fun teacher's gift!)