Looking for some more Christmas Ideas? Start a new tradition, why have normal ornaments when you can make ones you can eat. Here are some edible homemade Christmas decorations which will sure melt your hart....and less ornaments to pack up and put away!
Stained Glass Biscuit Decorations
By melting sweets into your biscuits, you are adding a festive spin which will give them a lovely stained-glass effect, which is perfect for hanging on your tree. We use vanilla biscuits but cinnamon or any other biscuit works just as well
Ingredients
For the biscuits
125g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Few drops of vanilla extract
1 medium egg
250g plain flower
Hard boiled sweets
You will also need:
Ribbon to hang to the tree
Method
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius
Cream the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and then the flour until the mixture comes together to form a firm dough.
Leave it in the fridge to cool.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface.
Take two biscuit cutters and cut a shape with the larger of the two.
Place the smaller cutter in the centre and carefully remove a section of biscuit - making sure there are no gaps in the edges of the biscuit (to avoid the sweets spilling over)
Place the biscuits on a piece of greaseproof paper, again making sure there are no gaps in the areas you intend to fill with sweets.
Use a skewer to poke a hole into each ornament (to attach string)
Pick your chosen colour sweets and place them in the desired spaces.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on the oven as you want the biscuits to be light golden brown but firm.
Ensure the sweets are fully melted before removing from the oven.
Allow to cool & loop a decorative string through the ornament and hang on your tree - ensure a few fairy lights are well placed to shine through the ‘stained glass’
Sweetie Baubles Decorations
Christmas baubles are pretty and colourful, but our cute sweetie baubles are edible. They are made of Rice Krispy centres and covered with any sweeties of your choosing and are great fun making with the kids.
Ingredients
1 large bag of Jelly Tots (or sweets of your choice)
100g bar of white chocolate
2 Rice Crispy Squares
You will also need:
Ribbon to hang to the tree
Method
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. Be careful to check often as white chocolate is very temperamental to work with.
Cut the Rice Krispy Squares in half then shape into balls with your hands.
Dunk one ball at a time into the cooled white chocolate then place on a piece of greaseproof paper.
Gently place the sweets into the white chocolate, pressing down to ensure they stick.
Leave the bottom free from sweets.
Once all the balls are covered, place in the fridge to set.
When the balls are set, remove from the fridge, and gently turn over so the sweet-free base is face up.
Cut a length of ribbon and place both ends on the base and cover with a thick layer of the melted chocolate to stick.
Place back in the fridge until firmly attached, then hang from your tree.
Popcorn and Cranberry Tinsel
Treaded popcorn and cranberry strings are the prefect treat to add to your tree. They are a lovely alternative to the colourful tinsel and easy to make. Your only worry is how long or how short you want the strings to be. Drizzle in melted chocolate and dust with angle dust for a more festive finish.
Ingredients
Popcorn (popped and cooled)
Dried cranberries
You will also need
Thread
A large needle
Method
Measure out a long piece of tread ad then thread into the needle.
Thread a piece of popcorn pushing the needle through the centre of the popcorn until it pokes out the other side. Use the same technique for the cranberries too.
Treat the popcorn and cranberries one at a time onto the tread.
Once you have filled the whole piece of tread with popcorn and cranberries it is time to decorate your tree.
Make as many strings as you require.
Marshmallow Tinsel
Complete your Christmas tree with these chunky marshmallow tinsel decorations. Not only easy to make, but they also look pretty good as well - what is there not to like about these fun edible strips of tinsel? The kids will love decorating this tasty treat and enjoy eating them afterwards too.
Ingredients
Large marshmallows
100g dark chocolate
Gold or silver sugar balls
You will also need
Thread
A large needle
Method
Start by threading all of the marshmallows onto the thread.
Put the trad through the needle and then push the needle through the marshmallow centre, and wiggle the needle until it pops out on the other side.
Continue to do this with all the marshmallows. Or until you feel you have enough.
Line a wooden board with some greaseproof paper and secure it in place with Sellotape.
Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave on low heat, checking and stirring throughout,
Once melted, leave to cool for about 5 minutes before it begins to set.
Place the marshmallow tinsel onto the greaseproof paper and drizzle in the chocolate.
Dust with the silver or gold sugar balls and leave to set in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes.
Shake off any excess sugar balls that haven't stuck down and place your tinsel on the tree.
Choco-mallow Rudolph
These cute and comical little Rudolph faces are easy to make and look oh so cute on the tree. Each Rudolph is first dipped in chocolate and then topped with pretzel antlers. Kids love making these delicious Christmas decorations.
Ingredients
Large marshmallows
Pretzels
Red Smarties
Ready to roll white and black icing
100g milk chocolate
You will also need:
Ribbon to hang to the tree
Method
Line a wooden board with greaseproof paper, you can secure it by using Sellotape.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, take it out and cool slightly by continuously stirring.
Dip each marshmallow into the chocolate covering the base and the edges of the marshmallow.
Place on the greaseproof paper and place in the fridge to set for 10 minutes.
Take out of the fridge and flip the marshmallows upside down.
Put a small drop of the melted chocolate onto the back of the marshmallow and press down the pretzels to make the antlers.
Flip them back over so the pretzels are on the greaseproof paper and place them back in the fridge to set for a further 10 minutes.
Make Rudolph’s eye using ready-to-roll icing. Roll out a pea-sized piece of white fondant and then roll out an even smaller piece of black fondant for the centre of the eye and press together.
Remove the marshmallows from the fridge and using some melted chocolate as glue add the red smarties as noses.
Add the eyes in the same way.
Place back in the fridge to set for a final 10 minutes.
Thread some ribbons around the antlers and place them on the tree.
Orange and Clove Pomanders
Add these pomanders are so pretty and smell great as well. By hanging them on your tree the whole room will start to smell like Christmas creating a feeling of nostalgia.
Ingredients
Oranges
Dried Cloves
You will also need:
Ribbon to hang to the tree
Toothpick
Method
Wrap ribbon around the orange pomanders, top to bottom and then again bottom to top (but if you wish you can leave it off), and tie with a bow.
Add the cloves at evenly spaced intervals around the orange.
Use a toothpick to make a hole in the orange and then push in the cloves
Place on the tree.
So pretty and easy to make - what are your favourite edible decorations, please share them with us.