Family Fun for Christmas

The highlight of any Christmas party is an appearance by Santa -- especially this Santa. Defer to your kids' imaginations when you assemble this appetizer; try mini rice cakes instead of cream cheese for a beard or broccoli for ears. Before serving, bring it to room temperature for the best flavor and consistency.

Ingredients
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 ounces Grated Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 clove minced garlic (optional)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
Black pepper, to taste
Red bell pepper
1 to 2 cups whipped cream cheese
Radish slice, carrot stick, pretzel, black olives, crackers, and a cherry tomato

Instructions
1.Make Santa's face by blending the first eight ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Spoon the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a ball.

2.Tightly wrap the cheese and chill it for 1 hour. Unwrap the cheese ball and place it on a large serving tray.

3.Drape new plastic wrap over the cheese, then flatten and shape it into a face. Remove the wrap and turn the red pepper upside down for Santa's hat.

4.Spoon the whipped cream cheese into a sealable pint-size plastic bag. Seal the bag and make a small snip in a lower corner to create a pastry bag.

5.Use piped-on whipped cream cheese to stick a radish-slice pom-pom to the hat. Pipe on more cream cheese for a hatband, eyebrows, and a beard.

6.Press on a carrot nose, a pretzel mouth, olive eyes, and cracker ears. Add cherry tomato halves for rosy cheeks. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

7.Kids' Steps: Shaping Santa's face and then decorating it with vegetable features are perfect jobs for little helpers.

Dressed in colorful candy scarves and top hats, these stylish, easy-to-make snowmen are sure to liven up any holiday gathering.

Ingredients
bag of 8-inch pretzel rods
1 cup white chocolate chips
mini chocolate chips
orange decorators' gel
fruit leather (various colors)
gummy rings
gumdrops

Instructions
1.To make a batch, melt 1 cup of white chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler.

2.One at a time, dip one end of an 8-inch pretzel rod in the melted chocolate and use a plastic spoon or knife to spread the chocolate two thirds of the way down the rod.

3.Set the pretzels on a sheet of waxed paper and press on mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons. Use orange decorators' gel to add a carrot nose.

4.When the chocolate has hardened, stand the pretzels in a mug or glass and tie on strips of fruit leather for scarves. For each hat, stretch a gummy ring over the narrow end of a gumdrop and secure it on the pretzel rod with a dab of melted chocolate.

Need a healthy appetizer for a class party or a holiday gathering? Trim a platter with these good-for-you edible ornaments.

Ingredients
Low-fat cream cheese
Water crackers
Colorful veggies (such as peas, diced peppers, carrot slices and broccoli stems)

Instructions
1.Spread low-fat cream cheese on water crackers, then top each with colorful veggies, such as peas, diced peppers, carrot slices, and broccoli stems.

This cheery fellow won't have a chance to melt - he'll be gobbled up too quickly! And as is true of any snowman, dressing him is half the fun. We've suggested a few fashionably edible choices, but he's equally festive in other tasty apparel.

Ingredients
16 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
10 raisins for eyes, mouth, and buttons
1 piece of carrot for the nose
4 crackers for the hat (we used Ritz and Dare water crackers)
1 thyme sprig for the hat (optional)
Strips of carrot for the scarf
2 broken pretzels for the arms
1 (1/2-inch) piece of a canned baby corn for the pipe
Toothpick for the pipe

Instructions
1.In a large bowl, let the cream cheese soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Stir in the garlic salt and the onion powder, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

2.Make the snowman by rolling two thirds of the cheese into a ball for his body and the other third into a ball for his head. Stack the balls, then add the facial features, clothing, arms, and pipe as shown. Serve with crackers or mini bagels.

With jelly beans and plastic pastry decorating bags, your kids can assemble these quick and easy Christmas trees for party favors or Secret Santa presents.

Ingredients
1 dozen 12-inch plastic decorating pastry bags (available at party supply stores)
4 cups green jelly beans
1 cup total yellow, white, and red jelly beans
Tape
12 brown pipe cleaners

Instructions
1. Place a few yellow jelly beans in the tip of the plastic decorating bag. Then carefully pour about 1/3 cup of green jelly beans into the bag. For lights and ornaments, you can mix the green jelly beans with yellow, white, and red. For the tree's trunk, tape the bag shut and twist a brown pipe cleaner around the base. Trim off the excess plastic. (Note: in the top photograph, the trees are held upright with fishing line.) Makes 12 trees.

Step 1. Using one round seedless watermelon and two personal sized watermelons (one larger and one smaller), cut a 1/4 inch slice off the bottom of each melon to provide a stable base. Use the smallest melon for the head, the next largest for the torso and the largest for the lower body. Set aside the smallest watermelon. cream scoop or large spoon.

Step 2. Cut the tops off of the large and medium watermelons, as shown, to create bowls. Scoop out flesh.

Step 3. Taking the smallest watermelon that has not yet been cut, scoop out eyes using a melon baller. Invert melon balls and reinsert.

Step 4. Using a mini melon baller or a paring knife, scoop out holes for the nose and mouth. Carve a piece of watermelon into a triangle for the nose, and fill mouth holes with blueberries.

Step 5. Connect all three watermelons on a platter, using large wooden skewers.

Step 6. Insert y-shaped sticks into middle watermelon for arms.

Step 7. Fill bottom sections with fruit salad of melon balls and blueberries. Decorate with scarf and hat.

The "pine tree" here is a pineapple laden with colorful fruit-kabob branches.

Ingredients
Large pineapple
Small skewers (we used 50 6-inch bamboo skewers)
Assorted fresh fruit (we used grapes, strawberries, star fruit, and honeydew)

Instructions
1.To make the tree trunk, remove the top and cut 1 inch off of the bottom of a large pineapple, then peel it (all a parent's job).

2.On the skewers, thread three to five pieces of assorted fresh fruits.

3.Starting at the bottom, insert the skewers into the pineapple at a slight angle. Top the tree with skewered slices of star fruit. After the branches are eaten, don't forget to slice up the tree trunk.

It's tons of fun and a perfect indoor activity that kids can munch on once they're done!

Ingredients
15 cups popped popcorn
1 stick of butter or margarine
Two 10 oz. packages marshmallows
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
Pretzel sticks
Raisins
Candy corn
Mini jawbreakers
Gumdrops or red hots
Fruit leather

Instructions
1.Put the popcorn in your largest mixing bowl and set aside. Melt the butter or margarine in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat. Add all the marshmallows to the pan, stirring continually with a wooden spoon until they're completely melted. Pour the mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat evenly. As soon as the marshmallow is cool enough to touch, rub a little butter or margarine in your hands and make popcorn balls (about 1 cup of popcorn per ball).

2.Build and decorate your snowmen on sheets of waxed paper. For each one, stack three popcorn balls atop each other. Push pretzel-stick arms into the sides of the middle popcorn ball. Add raisins for eyes and a candy corn for a nose. Arrange a row of mini jawbreakers into a broad grin. For buttons on the snowman's chest, use gumdrops or red hots.

3.If your popcorn balls aren't sticky enough to hold the decorations, mix up a small batch of stiff white icing by adding water, a few drops at a time, to 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and stirring until smooth. Use this to glue the candy in place. For snowmen's scarves, cut rectangles out of fruit leather and fringe the ends. Makes 5 snowmen.

These guys are so cute, they'll probably be gobbled up as soon as you round them up.

Ingredients
1/3 cup Dijon or honey mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 French-style loaf of bread (12 to 14 inches long)
A few radishes
24 small smoked sausages (such as Thorn Apple Valley's Cocktail Smokies)
Frizzle-top toothpicks
Wooden skewers, cut into various lengths

Instructions
1.Make the dip by whisking together the mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl and keep it chilled until you're ready to use it.

2.With a serrated knife, score a 4- by 2-inch outline in the top of a loaf of French bread (adults only). Scoop out enough bread to create a shallow trough for the mustard (but don't fill it yet). Toast the loaf in the oven to crisp it (this will keep the dip from soaking into the bread), then let it cool. Meanwhile, cut the radishes into little cone-shaped noses (again, adults only).

3.Bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil. Simmer the sausages for 1 minute -- any longer and the links may split. Drain the water from the meat. As soon as the sausages are cool enough to handle, your kids can insert frizzled toothpick antlers into the tops and push radish noses into the ends.

4. Insert a skewer into the bottom of each sausage and pipe on mustard-dot eyes (No pastry bags? Use the plastic bag trick: just spoon the mustard into the corner of the bag, seal it, and snip the appropriate-size opening at the very corner and gently squeeze out your decorations!). Push the other end of the skewer into the bread. Serve as soon as you've herded up all of the reindeer and filled the trough with dip. Makes 24.

Can't decide what to bring to a tree-trimming party? Bring this edible tree. Made from mini sandwiches and trimmed with colorful vegetables, it can serve as a healthy alternative to the usual array of holiday sweets.

Ingredients
1 16-ounce can whole-berry cranberry sauce
4 large (9- or 10-inch) spinach-flour tortillas or flat breads
Mayonnaise
3/4 pound thinly sliced Monterey Jack or American cheese
3/4 pound thinly sliced smoked turkey
1/2 head green-leaf lettuce
Toothpicks
Red and yellow bell peppers
cocktail onions, for garnish

Instructions
1.Spoon the cranberry sauce into a food processor and pulse it briefly.

2.Then lay the tortillas or flat bread on a flat working surface and lightly spread them with mayonnaise (a rubber spatula comes in handy for this). Now your kids can top each tortilla with a layer each of cheese and turkey. (Tip: When stacking ingredients, leave an inch margin along the top of the tortilla. Roll the bread toward that edge to keep the filling from falling out.)

3.Spread cranberry sauce on the turkey layers and cover them with lettuce. Snugly roll up the sandwiches, ending with the loose edges underneath.

4.With a serrated knife, cut each roll-up into 1 1/4-inch-wide pinwheels and insert a toothpick to hold each one together.

5.On a serving platter, arrange the pinwheels in rows to create a Christmas tree. Garnish with pepper-star ornaments (cut out with a small cookie cutter) and cocktail-onion lights.

These cute candy canes can be made with any two colors: traditional red and white, red and green, even blue and yellow! The foundation of this recipe is the versatile dough that can be customized to create chocolate, colored, striped, or marbleized cookies.

Ingredients
Colored cookie dough

Instructions
1.For each candy cane, form small pieces of two colors of dough into two ropes, about 1/4 inch in diameter and 16 inches long. Carefully twist the ropes together to form a candy cane. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Tips:Instead of rolling out your dough on a floured surface, roll it out between waxed paper. The cookies will stay moist because extra flour is not incorporated during the rolling process.

Presented in decorative tins, these sparkly meringues are satisfying both to make and to give. And you don't have to stick to the snowflake design; the meringue can be piped into snowmen, wreaths, Christmas trees, or just about any shape you like. Tip: For the best results, avoid making them on a humid day.

Ingredients
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon flavored extract, such as lemon, peppermint, orange, or almond
2 tablespoons colored sugar or edible glitter
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Instructions
1.Heat the oven to 200º. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, about 3 minutes. Set the mixer speed to high and beat another 3 minutes or so until the eggs whites are fluffy.

2.Add the confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes. Then beat in the extract.

3.Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a pencil to draw snowflake patterns on the paper. The meringues will not spread, so they can be drawn fairly close together. Turn the papers printed-side down and stick them to the baking sheets by dabbing a little meringue in each corner.

4.Spoon the meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip and pipe it, erring on the thick side so the snowflakes will be less fragile, onto the paper-lined sheets following the patterns. Sprinkle the meringues with colored sugar or edible glitter.

5.Bake the snowflakes until dry but not browned, about 1 hour. Carefully slide the parchment paper from the baking sheets to wire racks and let the meringues cool completely.

6.Using scissors, cut the paper between the meringues to separate them. Then gently peel away the paper from each one, keeping one hand under the snowflake to support the edges. The meringues will stay crisp for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container at room temperature (do not refrigerate them). Makes about 20.

These delectable decorations are just the treat for a holiday tree-trimming party.

Ingredients
Cupcakes
Colorful frosting
Red and green candy such as M&Ms
Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
Pretzels

Instructions
1.To make them, frost a batch of cooled cupcakes (baked from your favorite recipe) with colorful frosting.

2.Decorate with festive icing and candies (we used red and green M&Ms Minis), then top each one with a miniature Reeses Peanut Butter Cup and a pretzel piece for an ornament hanger. Don't forget to save one for Santa.

Snow or no snow, your family can whip up a band of these merry marshmallow snowmen to satisfy all their winter wonderland fantasies.

Ingredients
Cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe)
White icing
Large marshmallows
Waxed paper
Pretzel sticks
Decorators' gel
Orange slice candy
Junior Mints
Thin Mints
Fruit leather

Instructions
1.Frost a cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with white icing.

2.Flatten a large marshmallow on waxed paper with the palm of your hand. Cut a second marshmallow in half horizontally, then stack the halves on the first marshmallow to form a torso and head.

3.Push a thin pretzel stick down through the snowman (this will help him stand up), then set him on the cupcake.

4.Use decorators' gel to create a mouth, eyes, and buttons, then add pretzel stick arms and a wedge cut from an orange slice candy for a nose.

5.Accessorize with a candy hat (a Junior Mint secured to a Thin Mint with icing) and a fruit leather scarf.

These dashing desserts pay homage to some of Santa's best-known helpers. They also make a fun activity for little hands after a holiday meal.

Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Servings: 26

Ingredients
Pretzels (standard shaped)
Chocolate frosted cupcakes
Tootsie Roll Midgee
Mini vanilla wafer
Red or brown M&Ms
White M&Ms
Black decorating gel

Instructions
1.For each "reindeer," carefully snap two pretzels into antler shapes and press them into a chocolate frosted cupcake.

2.Finish by adding a pair of white M&M eyes dotted with black decorating gel.

3.Press on a mini vanilla wafer for a snout, then use a small dab of frosting to attach a red or brown M&M nose.

4.Shape each ear from a third of a Tootsie Roll Midgee and arrange them next to the antlers.

Creating this chocolate snowman cake is fun for the whole family. My daughters enjoyed watching the snowman's personality emerge as we decorated him with candy and fruit leather.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups vanilla frosting
Shredded coconut (optional)
2 black licorice drops
1 large orange gumdrop
Red shoestring licorice
Red fruit leather
3 starlight mints
3 small gumdrops
2 sticks chocolate licorice

Instructions
1.Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two ovenproof glass bowls, one slightly larger than the other. (Note: For our cake, we used one bowl with a 1-liter capacity and 6-inch diameter and the other with a 1 1/2-liter capacity and 7-inch diameter.)

2.To make the cake, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Sift the ingredients onto waxed paper and return to the bowl.

3.In a separate bowl, blend the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.

4.Alternately, add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter in thirds, combining well after each addition. Fill the bowls about two thirds full. Bake the smaller cake for about 50 minutes and the larger cake for about 65 minutes.

5.When done, the surface will spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Cool in the bowls for 10 minutes. Then invert onto a large, rectangular platter (about 17 by 12 inches) so the cakes resemble a snowman. Cool completely.

6.Ice the cakes with the vanilla frosting, then sprinkle with shredded coconut, if desired. Add licorice drop eyes, insert an orange gumdrop nose and fashion a broad smile with shoestring licorice.

7.For the scarf, cut two 2-inch-wide strips of fruit leather, notch the ends and wrap around the neck of the snowman. For the buttons, use starlight mints topped with gumdrops. Finish off the snowman with two chocolate licorice arms. Serves 10 to 12.

8.Kids' Steps: Measuring and adding the ingredients for the cake batter, and frosting and decorating the cute snowman.

Want your holiday dinner to end on a sweet note? Finish it off with this creative Christmas tree complete with candy ornaments, an icing garland, and (of course) presents!

Ingredients
1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow or white cake mix
Parchment paper or aluminum foil
12-inch wooden skewer
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons water
3 teaspoons vanilla, peppermint, or lemon extract
Food coloring in green and other shades of your choice
Candies for ornaments (we used Runts candies)
1 tube yellow decorators' icing (not gel icing)

Instructions
1.Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions using an electric mixer (this yields a firmer cake), then bake it in a 9- by 13-inch pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Let the cake cool completely.

2.Place the cake on a cutting board and use a long, sharp knife (parents only) to shave off the rounded top. Carefully flip over the cake and cut it into 7 squares, as shown, setting the extra aside. Cut the bottom half off each of the 2 smallest squares and set them aside with the other leftover cake pieces.

3. Stack the cake squares from largest to smallest on a serving platter, setting each one at a 45-degree angle to the one below it. Trim the skewer so that it's just slightly shorter than the cake, then stick it down through the stack to help keep the squares together.

4.To prepare the glaze, stir together the confectioners' sugar, water, and extract in a medium bowl until smooth (it should be about the consistency of honey). Set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture, then tint the remaining glaze with the green food coloring until it reaches a shade you like. (We used about 1/8 teaspoon, or about 12 drops.)

5.Pour the tinted glaze over the cake from the top, using a rubber spatula or butter knife to gently spread it over the cake as needed.

6. To make the presents, divide the remaining icing among 2 or 3 bowls and tint each with a different shade of food coloring. Cut the extra cake pieces into small squares, then set them on a wire rack with a plate or waxed paper underneath. Pour the glaze over the squares. Let the icing set for a few minutes, then use a spatula to carefully move the presents to the base of the tree.

7.Decorate the tree with candy ornaments, then use the tube of decorators' icing to add a frosting garland to the tree and frosting ribbons and bows to the gifts. To serve, remove and cut the layers one at a time. Serves 18 to 20.

Your family can turn 3 round boxes into a frosty-looking indoor friend that will last long after any traces of a winter wonderland have melted away. At the end of the season, the snowman parts nest inside the largest box for storage.

Materials
3 plain round boxes in successive sizes (ask for papíer-mâché boxes at the craft store; ours were 5, 7, and 9 inches in diameter)
White acrylic paint
Hot glue or tacky glue
Buttons
Orange bumpy pipe cleaner
Child-size mittens
2-1/2-foot string
Infant-size hat
Cloth scrap

Instructions
1.Use the white acrylic paint to coat the 3 boxes. Let the paint dry, then use hot glue or tacky glue to attach a button mouth and eyes to the smallest box and a row of large buttons to each of the 2 larger boxes, leaving room for the box tops.

2.Cut a tapered section from an orange bumpy pipe cleaner and glue it in place for a nose.

3.For hands, tape the mittens to the ends of a 21%u20442-foot string and tuck the center portion of the string inside the medium-size box before putting on the lid.

4.Stack the boxes, then dress your snowman with the hat and a scarf made from a scrap of cloth.

Decorate a mantel or tabletop with this easy-to-make Santa and his little helpers.

Materials
Cardboard tissue tubes
Construction paper
Scissors
Craft glue

Instructions
1. Begin by wrapping each cardboard tube with a 4- by 6-inch paper rectangle, choosing an appropriate base color for each character. Glue the paper in place.

2.To make faces for the angel, Santa, soldier and elf, cut 3-inch-wide circles out of orange or pink paper, and glue them onto the tubes.

3.For facial features, cut small circles for eyes and noses, mini rectangles for eyebrows and crescent shapes for mouths and moustaches. Roll a tiny orange cone for the snowman's nose, then make four small snips around the cone's base and glue the tabs to his face. For Santa's beard, glue on layers of 1-inch-wide white paper circles.

4.To make a tall, pointed hat for Santa or the elf, wrap a 2- by 5-inch paper rectangle around the tube top and glue the overlapped edges together. Pinch the top of the hat closed and trim with a paper pom-pom. Add a brow band in a contrasting color. For the snowman's and soldier's hats, start by rolling and gluing a 2- by 5-inch paper rectangle into a cylinder. Make small slits along one end and fold the tabs in toward the center of the cylinder. Glue a 2 1/2-inch circle on top of the tabs. Trim

5.Finish with distinguishing details for each figure. Frame the angel's face with yellow curls and a lacy collar. Add a halo and wings. Complete Santa's uniform with a broad black belt and buckle. Decorate the soldier with golden epaulets, coat lapels, and buttons. Fringe the ends of a 1- by 7-inch rectangle for the snowman's scarf. Glue on pointed elf ears and feet, and top off the reindeer with antlers and ears.

You can perch these pretty birds in myriad places: put one on the end of a skewer for a plant poke, hang one in a window with a piece of monofilament, or place several in a nest for a tabletop centerpiece. They make a great gift for moms, grandmoms, and teachers.

Materials
Styrofoam ball, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter
Bamboo skewer
Glitter paint and paintbrush
Glue dots
Googly eyes
Scissors
Yellow plastic notebook divider tab
Needle-nose pliers
20-gauge craft wire
Feathers

Instructions
1.Stick the Styrofoam ball on a skewer. Paint the entire ball, then set the skewer in a cup and let it dry overnight.

2.Remove the skewer, then use the glue dots to attach the eyes to the ball.

3. For a beak, cut a small triangle from the notebook tab, as shown. Gently score the ball with the skewer, then insert the beak.

4.Use the pliers to bend the craft wire into feet. Poke the feet and feathers into the ball.

While most snowmen are made up of flakes, ours is made from a single paving stone. Want your Frosty to greet folks from the porch? Use all-weather paint instead of acrylic.

Materials
Keyhole-shaped paver (available at many home improvement stores) *
Paintbrush
White and black acrylic paint
Orange modeling clay
Superglue
Fleece
Pipe cleaner
Two 1 1/2-inch pom-poms
Rubber band
Felt

Instructions
1.Rinse off the paver to remove any loose bits of dirt or cement. Paint it white and let it dry. If needed, apply a second coat and let it dry completely.

2.Lay the paver flat and paint on the eyes, mouth, and buttons. Let the face dry, then mold a clay nose and affix it with superglue (a parent's job).

3.Cut a fleece scarf (ours measures 1 by 22 inches) and tie it in place. For the earmuffs, bend a 5-inch piece of pipe cleaner into an arc. Superglue the ends to either side of the head and the pom-poms over the ends (a parent's job), then wrap the rubber band around the snowman?s head to hold the earmuffs in place until the glue dries.

4.To protect indoor floors, superglue a small piece of felt to the base of the snowman.

Unlike the poetic creatures that didn't stir the night before Christmas, these holiday mice are raring to go. Just place a marble under their walnut shell bodies, set them on a smooth, inclined surface, and they'll race each other to the finish.

Materials
Felt
Glue
Scissors
Thread
Walnut Shells
Colored Markers

Instructions
1.To make each mouse, fold in half small felt circles for ears.

2.Glue together the lower portion of each ear, leaving the back open. Glue the ears, a felt tail, and whiskers of thread onto a shell half.

3.Last, use a colored marker to draw on eyes and a nose.

Squish, roll, and stick together a festive snowman family.

Materials
2 cups Ivory Snow Ultra
1/2 cup water
Toothpicks
Twigs
Cloves
Buttons
Felt
Seed beads
Tempera paints
Egg carton
Pipe cleaners

Instructions
1.To mix up a batch of faux snow, pour the Ivory Snow into a bowl, add the water and whip with an electric beater until doughy.

2.Shape the damp soap into three balls. Stack them by gently pushing a toothpick halfway into the center of the bottom ball. Then, push the middle ball down onto the toothpick until the two balls touch. Do the same for the snowman's head.

3.Add twig arms, clove eyes, shirt buttons and a felt scarf. To make a smiling mouth, press on a row of seed beads. For a mini carrot nose, color the tip of a short twig with orange paint. Top off the snowman with an eggcup hat or a set of pipe cleaner earmuffs.

Tips:As the soap dries (this can take a few hours), it will lose its grayish tinge and turn bright white.

Materials
Red craft paper
Glue stick
Plain notecard or card stock
Tempera paints
Paper plates
Googly eyes

Instructions
1.Cut Santa-hat shapes (minus the pom-poms and white trim) from the craft paper, then glue one onto each card. Glue a pair of googly eyes a fingertip's width below each hat.

2.Pour white tempera paint onto one paper plate, and a dollop each of red, black, and pink (mix some red and white) onto another. Stamp white handprint beards, then use fingertips to stamp the trim on the hats, and a nose, mouth, and cheeks on each face.

Here's a real treat for your tree: a candy cane-like ornament that points the way to Santa's place.

Materials
Large craft stick (ours was 4 ½ inches long)
Acrylic paint: white, green and red
Craft knife
Permanent marker
Glue
Small green felt holly leaves
Red mini pom-pom berries
White glitter
5-inch piece of ribbon

Instructions
1.Coat a large craft stick (ours was 4 ½ inches long) with white acrylic paint and another with green paint. Let them dry, then add stripes of red paint to the white stick.

2.Use a craft knife to cut a 3-inch section from the green stick, notching each end to create an arrow shape, as shown. Write "North Pole" on the sign in permanent marker, then glue the sign to the red-and-white craft stick.

3.Next, glue on small green felt holly leaves and red mini pom-pom berries. If you like, add dabs of white paint, then sprinkle on white glitter for snow.

4.Finally, glue both ends of a 5-inch piece of ribbon to the back of the signpost for a hanger and let the glue dry.

Materials
Cookie cutters (choose shapes that can stand up)
Honeycomb wax sheets in various colors (available at craft stores or at candlewic.com; an 8- by 16-inch sheet will make 1 or 2 candles)
Wicks
Scissors

Instructions
1.For each candle, use a cookie cutter to make 10 identical shapes from the wax sheets. Divide the shapes into two stacks of 5.

2.Sandwich a wick between the two stacks, starting at the bottom and extending it beyond the top by at least an inch. Press the sheets together gently. If they don't stick together, take the wax layers apart and use a hair dryer to gently warm each one before restacking them, adding the wick as instructed above.

3.Trim the wick to about a half-inch. Stand your candle up, shaping the base as needed to make it sit securely.

Celebrate the gift of giving with this wreath of helping hands.

Materials
Paper plate
Green paint or markers
Green construction paper

Instructions
1.To make the base of the wreath, cut out the middle of a paper plate. Color the remaining circle green with markers or paint.

2. Trace your child's hand on card stock to create a pattern. Using the pattern, cut out hands from green construction paper (make enough hands to equal the number of countdown days).

3.Write one good deed or simple service project on the back of each and set them aside in a basket. Each day, pick a hand from the basket, perform the deed or serice, and add it to the wreath (we attached each hand with adhesive Fun-Tak to give the wreath more texture).