How to Make Edible Holiday Ornaments 3 Ways

It's that time of the year where Starbucks changes their specialty drinks from a PSL to a peppermint mocha. Every radio station is now playing holiday songs like "Frosty the Snowman" or "Deck the Halls." ABC Family (aka Freeform) is playing their 25 Days of Christmas movies. The holiday season is full of iconic moments, like decorating your Christmas tree. 

If you're anything like my family, the Christmas festivities commence the day after Thanksgiving. This all starts with us rushing to the tree lot the morning after and picking out the perfect Christmas tree. But what's a tree without its ornaments?

Now, we're going to take a step back from the classic hanging ball ornaments or the dreaded possibility of breaking "grandma's 40-year-old ornament" and make easy and edible christmas decorations that will give your tree an original touch.

Peppermint Wreaths

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:5 mins
• Total Time:10 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 box peppermints
• aluminum foil
• ribbon optional

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 325°F.

• Step 2

  Unwrap peppermint candies.

  

• Step 3

  Lay foil out on a cookie sheet and start assembling your peppermint candies into a circle (make sure they're touching each other).
  
  #SpoonTip: use 6 peppermint candies to form circle.

  

• Step 4

  Bake wreaths for 5 minutes.

• Step 5

  Once completely cooled, tie a ribbon around the wreaths and hang!

  

Salt Dough Ornaments

• Prep Time:15 mins
• Cook Time:1 hr
• Total Time:1 hr 15 mins
• Servings:10
• Easy

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• decorating materials like glitter paint or ribbon

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 300°F.

• Step 2

  In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, and water until well incorporated.

  

• Step 3

  On large piece of parchment paper, knead and roll out the dough.

  

• Step 4

  Using cookie cutters, cut the desired shapes out of the dough and then remove the excess dough scraps.

• Step 5

  At the top of your cookie ornament, take a straw or a pencil and poke a hole (this is where the ribbon will hang from).

  

• Step 6

  Transfer the parchment paper with cookie ornaments shapes onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

• Step 7

  Let the ornaments cool completely before decorating.

  

• Step 8

  Decorate and hang!

  

This next recipe is a little more time consuming compared to the other ornaments, but this creative tree addition will last throughout the entire holiday season. 

Popcorn Garland

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:40 mins
• Total Time:45 mins
• Servings:1
• Medium

Ingredients

• 5 cups popped popcorn
• thread
• sewing needle

• Step 1

  Pop the popcorn according to the package instructions.
  
  #SpoonTip: For longer-lasting garland, use unflavored popcorn.

  

• Step 2

  Start with a long length of thread, depending on the size of your tree.

• Step 3

  Put the thread through a needle and pull it halfway through so it's the same length on both ends.

  

• Step 4

  Tie a knot roughly one inch from the end of the thread. For a more secure knot, tie multiple knots at the end.

• Step 5

  Pierce the popcorn at the center of the kernel, pull the needle through and then slide the popcorn down to the knotted end.

  

• Step 6

  Repeat until your garland strand is full of popcorn, then tie a knot at the end once you're finished.

• Step 7

  Hang popcorn garland on the tree!
  
  #SpoonTip: Put the Christmas lights on before you hang your garland.

  

As you trim the tree, use these easy and homemade ornaments to start your holiday season off right. Whether that be giving these ornaments as gifts or hosting your own holiday party and sharing these recipes with friends, these will get you into the holiday spirit.