Easy DIY Melted Peppermint Candy Crafts: Ornaments, Bowls & Plates for the Holidays

Transforming simple peppermint candies into stunning, edible ornaments, festive bowls, unique plates, or other delightful gifts is an incredibly easy and rewarding craft for all ages. With just one key ingredient—peppermint candies or candy canes—and a little heat from your oven or microwave, you can unleash your creativity to design a myriad of shapes and functional items. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create beautiful peppermint masterpieces, perfect for holiday decorating, gifting, or simply enjoying as a fun family activity.

Why Melt Peppermint Candy for Crafts?

Peppermint candy crafts offer a unique blend of simplicity, affordability, and festive charm. They are ideal for:

• Budget-Friendly Fun: Peppermint candies are inexpensive, making this a perfect craft for large groups, classrooms, or when you need engaging indoor activities for kids without breaking the bank.
• Kid-Friendly Engagement: Even the smallest hands can participate! Children love unwrapping candies, arranging them in cookie cutters, and watching the magic happen as they melt. The sense of accomplishment when they proudly declare, “I made it all by myself!” is priceless.
• Versatile Creations: From delicate ornaments to sturdy serving dishes, the possibilities are endless. The malleability of melted peppermint allows for a wide range of shapes and uses.
• Festive Aroma: As the candies melt, they release a delightful peppermint fragrance that instantly evokes the spirit of the holidays, adding an extra sensory layer to your crafting experience.
• Unique Gifts & Decor: Handmade peppermint items make thoughtful, personalized gifts and add a charming touch to any holiday decor.

Imagine the delight of your guests when you serve delicious crinkle cookies on a beautiful, peppermint-scented plate they can actually lick! These crafts are not only pretty but also edible, adding an element of surprise and fun to your holiday gatherings. To embark on this delightful crafting journey, here’s what you’ll need to gather:

Essential Supplies for Your Peppermint Candy Creations

Gathering your materials is the first step to crafting beautiful melted peppermint candy creations. Most of these items are readily available and quite affordable.

What You Need to Make Peppermint Christmas Ornaments & More:

• Peppermint Candy: You’ll need a bag (or several) of peppermint candies. Round peppermints are classic, but you can also use candy canes. If using candy canes, break them into smaller pieces so they fit snugly inside your chosen shapes. Smaller pieces tend to melt more quickly and evenly. Ensure all candies are unwrapped before you begin.
• Cookie Cutters: This is where the fun begins! Collect various cookie cutters in different shapes and sizes. Stars, trees, gingerbread men, snowflakes, and even bone shapes for your furry friends are popular choices. Metal cookie cutters work best as they can withstand oven temperatures.
• Baking Sheet: A standard baking sheet is essential for the oven method, providing a flat surface for your candies to melt on.
• Parchment Paper: Crucial for preventing your melted candy from sticking to the baking sheet or cookie cutters. Always line your baking sheet thoroughly with parchment paper. Wax paper is not suitable for baking.
• Ribbon or Twine: If you plan to hang your creations as ornaments, you’ll need a festive ribbon or natural twine. A thin, sturdy string is often preferred for its aesthetic appeal and security.
• Skewer (with olive oil): To create the hanging hole for ornaments, a wooden or metal skewer is necessary. Dipping the tip in a bit of olive oil will ensure a clean, non-stick perforation in the warm, pliable candy.
• Oven Mitts: For safety, always use oven mitts when handling hot baking sheets and freshly melted candy.
• Optional: Small Glass Bowls or Upside-Down Muffin Tin: If you’re shaping peppermint bowls, a small oven-safe glass bowl (to mold around) or an upside-down muffin tin can be incredibly useful.

With these simple supplies in hand, you’re ready to start melting and molding your way to stunning peppermint crafts!

Melting Peppermint Candy: Two Easy Methods

There are two primary ways to melt peppermint candy: using a microwave for quick results or an oven for more control and larger batches. Both methods yield beautiful, pliable candy perfect for shaping.

Melting Peppermint Candy in the Microwave

The microwave method is ideal for smaller projects or when you need a quick burst of melted candy. It requires close supervision to prevent burning.

1. Unwrap and Arrange: Unwrap the peppermint candies and place them in a microwave-safe bowl (glass or ceramic works best). Arrange them in a single layer to ensure even melting.
2. Low to Medium Power: Set your microwave to a low to medium power setting (around 50% power). This helps prevent the candies from overheating, bubbling excessively, or burning.
3. Short Intervals: Heat the peppermint candy in 15-30 second intervals.
4. Stir Between Intervals: After each interval, stir the candies thoroughly. This distributes the heat evenly and helps them melt uniformly.
5. Watch Closely: Candies can burn quickly in the microwave. Keep a very close eye on them. The total melting time can range from 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the number of candies and your microwave’s wattage.
6. Shape Immediately: Once fully melted and pliable, the candy will start to harden as it cools. Work quickly to shape it into your desired form.

For making bowls, you can use an upside-down muffin pan or small glass bowl as a mold once the candy is melted and cooled slightly. These small edible bowls are perfect for a candy charcuterie board or for serving individual portions of nuts or chocolates.

How to Make a Peppermint Bowl in the Oven

The oven method is fantastic for creating larger items like bowls or plates, as it allows the candies to melt slowly and evenly, spreading into a beautiful, smooth surface. It also facilitates easier shaping once removed from the oven.

1. Prepare Your Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This is essential for easy removal and cleanup.
2. Arrange Candies: For a small plate or the base of a bowl, place one unwrapped peppermint candy in the center. Then, create a “flower” pattern by arranging a row of candies around it, ensuring they touch but do not overlap. Continue adding concentric rows to make the shape as large as you desire. For intricate shapes, place candies directly into metal cookie cutters on the parchment paper.
3. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). A lower temperature allows for more controlled melting.
4. Bake and Observe: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 6-8 minutes. Crucially, start watching closely around the 6-minute mark. You want the candies to be shiny and spread out, but not bubbling vigorously. Bubbling indicates overheating and can lead to a less clear, slightly burnt appearance.
5. Remove and Cool Slightly: Once the candies are shiny and have spread to fill your desired shape (or cookie cutter), carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. If making a bowl, allow it to cool for just a minute or two – it needs to be warm enough to be pliable but cool enough to handle safely.
6. Shape Your Bowl: Using oven mitts to protect your hands, carefully lift the parchment paper with the melted peppermint. Flip it over onto the inverted bottom of a small, oven-safe glass bowl. Gently press and mold the melted candy around the bowl to achieve your desired shape. You can use a bit of cooking spray on the bottom of the glass bowl for even easier removal.
7. Cool Completely: Allow the molded peppermint to cool completely on the inverted bowl. This ensures it retains its shape and hardens properly. Once fully cooled, it will easily peel away from the parchment paper and the glass bowl.

The parchment paper underneath not only makes cleanup a breeze but also ensures your beautiful creations don’t stick to the baking tray itself.

Crafting Delightful Peppermint Candy Ornaments

Peppermint candy ornaments are a holiday staple – easy to make, beautiful to behold, and they smell fantastic! They make wonderful personalized gifts or festive additions to your own tree.

How to Make Peppermint Candy Ornaments:

1. Prepare Cookie Cutters: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your chosen metal cookie cutters on the parchment paper. Ensure they are clean and dry.
2. Fill with Candies: Carefully arrange unwrapped peppermint candies inside each cookie cutter. Place them in a single layer, ensuring they touch but don’t overlap too much. For more vibrant colors, you can mix red and white peppermints or even use broken candy cane pieces.
3. Melt in Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for approximately 5-8 minutes. Watch closely! The goal is for the candies to melt, spread, and become shiny without bubbling. Smaller shapes will melt faster, so check them at 5 minutes. Remove from oven as soon as they reach this stage.
4. Create Hanging Hole: Immediately after removing from the oven, while the peppermint is still warm and pliable (but not too hot to handle with caution), dip the end of a skewer into a tiny bit of olive oil. Carefully press the oiled skewer through the top of each melted candy shape to create a hole for your ribbon or twine. Ensure the hole is large enough for your chosen hanging material.
5. Cool Completely: Allow the ornaments to cool completely on the baking sheet. They will harden as they cool, making them easy to remove from the cookie cutters and parchment paper. Trying to remove them too soon can cause them to break or lose their shape.
6. Finish and Hang: Once fully cooled and hardened, gently pop the ornaments out of the cookie cutters. Thread a festive ribbon or twine through the hole, tie a knot or bow, and your beautiful peppermint ornament is ready to hang on the tree!

These ornaments are perfect for holiday parties as a craft activity or for scout meetings. They typically cost under $20 for all the necessary supplies, especially if you can borrow cookie cutters from friends and family. A wonderful way to personalize these gifts is to write the date and a special message on the back with a permanent marker.

Looking for another delightful holiday craft? Try our 2-ingredient cinnamon ornament recipe too. It’s even cheaper to make and just as much fun for the kiddos!

Beyond Ornaments: Creative Uses for Melted Peppermint Candy

The versatility of melted peppermint candy extends far beyond traditional ornaments. Here are more ideas to spark your creativity:

• Festive Serving Bowls & Plates: As detailed above, shape larger melted peppermints into bowls for candies or nuts, or into flat plates for serving holiday cookies or candy charcuterie boards. These edible dishes are always a conversation starter!
• Cake and Cupcake Toppers: Melt small batches of peppermint into miniature shapes (stars, snowflakes) to adorn your peppermint cake or cupcakes.
• Gift Tags: Create small peppermint shapes, make a hole, and attach them to gifts for a unique, edible gift tag.
• Window Clings/Suncatchers: If made thin enough, melted peppermint shapes can catch the light beautifully when hung in a window, acting as fragrant suncatchers.
• Table Centerpieces: Arrange various peppermint shapes and bowls as an edible centerpiece for your holiday table.

Tips for Peppermint Crafting Success

• Unwrap All Candies First: This saves time and ensures you can work quickly once the candies are melted.
• Use Parchment Paper: This cannot be stressed enough. It’s the secret to non-stick, easy-to-remove crafts and hassle-free cleanup.
• Don’t Overbake/Over-Microwave: Watch closely! Peppermint can burn easily, leading to a bitter taste and brittle texture. The goal is shiny and spread, not bubbling.
• Work Quickly for Shaping: Melted peppermint hardens fast. Have your molds (cookie cutters, inverted bowls) ready and work swiftly to shape before it sets.
• Oiling the Skewer: A tiny bit of olive oil on your skewer makes a world of difference for creating clean, smooth holes for hanging.
• Cool Completely: Patience is key! Allow your creations to cool and harden completely before handling, removing from cutters, or attempting to hang.
• Storage: Store your finished peppermint crafts in an airtight container in a cool, dry place to prevent them from becoming sticky or attracting moisture.