Simple Stocking Stuffers

For creative personalities, the Christmas season is a time of making crafts to fill Christmas stockings. There are so many possibilities, that it can be hard to narrow down your choices to just a few. The cost of materials is also a concern. One neat idea is to make a candy train engine. Though you can’t eat the finished train, they are cute and just the right size to fit into a stocking. You’ll need a package of five sticks of Juicy Fruit or Big Red chewing gum, a bag of Hershey Kisses, a bag of round peppermint candies and a bag of Tootsie Rolls. The gum can be found in packages of ten, so you can make about ten little trains.

You’ll also need a hot glue gun, but if you don’t have one, Elmer’s school glue will work. Each train will need one pack of gum, one Tootsie Roll, four peppermint candies and one or two Hershey Kisses. On the widest part of the pack of gum, glue a Tootsie Roll so it lines up with one edge of the gum pack. Next to it, glue a Hershey Kiss. Make sure the little tag is sticking out as the smoke from the engine. Then glue two peppermints on each side of the gum. If you like, you can use two Kisses.

Another stocking stuffer craft is to make photo frames out of craft foam. You can embellish the frames with just about anything. Beads, ribbons and stickers are a few ideas. Then put a favorite photo in the frame. You can make beaded Christmas garland too. Use your favorite colored beads and fishing line.