The Art of The Edible Christmas Tree

These yummy Christmas tree food ideas are healthy alternatives bound to amuse your family and friends this holiday.

 

Whether you are feeding one or a houseful of holiday guests, the fun food tree will bring on the cheer and make you the star on top!  So much so, that your friends and family won't even realize they are eating healthy.

Fun Food Art Christmas Trees To Decorate Any Holiday Table:

Say Cheese! Delish Cheese and Grape Tree from Cabot Cheese - Any hard cheeses will do.

 Not Cheesy! Cream Cheese Christmas Tree from Betty Crocker - you could use Brie also.

Christmas Tree Pizzas With Pizzaz from Family Fun

Brocolli and Tomato Tree a Healthy Munch For A Bunch from Meal Planning Magic.com 

So Sweet! The Tutti Fruity Tree from Ginger and Garlic Blog  

Rosy and Red Strawberry Christmas Tree  from Maddycakes Muse

Ole! Tortilla Roll Christm as Tree by Better Homes and Gardens

Snap up smiles with snap peas christmas tree by Little Nummies 

Christmas Pancakes Won't Leave Breakfast Flat By Cute Food For Kids

This Grape Tree Snack Plate Is A Natural from Kitchen Fun with Mummy

For more food art and crafts go to Planetpals Crafts pages or seePlanetpals holiday Journals Jam packed with holiday ideas!

Snow Many Ways To Make Snow Flakes

Mounds of Snowflake crafts for every age!

Check them out on Planetpals Snow Fun Pinterest Board

Snow much fun!

Tis the Season for Homespun Traditions

Tis The Season For Homespun Traditions Design© Judith Gorgone

Make a new tradition this year!

The holiday season is a time for sharing with friends and family near and far.  Why not start a new old fashioned tradition this year that will last a lifetime. Use one of these simple ideas that scream "Home Made Holiday Spirit"!

Send a holiday letter instead of a card or with your card:

Everyone loves mail and it is a great way to update family and friends! Photocopy or print the “year in revue” and use clip art, photos, or drawings to enhance it. As the kids grow, let them have a hand in it! 

Have a pot luck get together:

Invite friends for a "pot luck", or open house event.  Everyone can cook a specialty. Sampling others cooking can be a tasty change! The hostesses will have more fun to enjoy the event, too.

Give a gift of a gift:

Have everyone bring a wrapped generic gift. Donate the gifts to a children's charity, homeless shelter, or nursing home. A great way to share what we all have, set good examples for the kids, all while having fun, too!

Fill a bag with kindness:

Have each household of your extended family purchase a certain amount of small toiletries, kleenex, writing implements, note paper and other useful items.  Have the kids fill small gifts bags with the items.  Then schedule a family trip to a children’s hospital, homeless shelter or nursing home and drop the much needed and appreciated gifts to the residents.

Have a talent show:

During the family holiday get together, schedule a family talent event for young and old.  Encourage each person in the family demonstrate their unique talent.  Be it singing, a cooking lesson, calligraphy or the hoola hoop. The possibilities are endless and you may learn something about an aunt, cousin or grandparent you did not know! 

Have a holiday decorating or cooking party:

Invite family or friends to make decorations together, or bake their famous cookies.  Then divide them up and take them home!

Hand make gifts or ornaments:

Whatever your talent, share it, you can be sure it will be a treasured gift from your heart and hand and no doubt looked forward to each year.  To add to it--wrap it in a home made wrap.

  © Judith Gorgone creator planetpals.com all rights reserved. Contact us for usage and licensing information for Planetpals content and  Planetpals Characters and Brand.

What Green Things Can You Do With Kids This Holiday?

Make Kids A Big Part of Holiday Decorating, 

Preparation and Gift Giving  

Get kids involved!  Whether you are preparing a dish to bring to a friends house, decorating the tree or bringing a gift to grandparents, kids can pitch in. It makes it more memorable and meaningful.  Go a step further and teach them to be green: Try to incorporate earth friendly ingredients or recycled as well as reusable items.

Here are some small ideas that will make a big difference for your kids this holiday:

• Have the kids make gifts for one and other or help you.They will learn the joy of gift giving as well as learn new skills! 
• Make cards from craft supplies or make cards from last year’s cards and wrap.
• Make cards from homemade paper and envelopes
• Make homemade cookies or breads and decorate them or fun food art
• Grow plants or herbs from seeds starting early!
• Plant small seedlings in hand painted pots or recycled pots
• Make ornaments from paper mache or lint clay and hand paint them (See Planetpals.com for the best paper mache recipes ever including lint dryer clay and play clay).
• Make origami ornaments
• Print gift wrap, using nontoxic paints and dyes on recycled (and recyclable) craft paper. Use potato prints or rubber stamps.
• Kids love making a good old-fashioned popcorn balls or popcorn tinsel and it can be yummy!
• A no cost solution: Have them write a poem or story and illustrate it! Use a recycled frame, home made frame and frame it!
• Make boxes for their gifts from cereal boxes and other cardboard
• Make gift wrap using natural materials and other materials
• Dry flowers a great way to extend the garden
• Lastly, make one of these Planetpals ornaments for your home or tree. It's got an eco friendly theme. Free Download to print and assemble:

Planetpals Exclusive Holiday Crafts:

Make a Christ

mas Card:

Exclusive Planetpals card. Print and play, cut and color.

Make a Holiday Ornament: 
Exclusive Planetpals "Seasons greenings" print, cut, paste tree ornament

Make Your Own Box Ornament:
Exclusive Planetpals Print, Design, Cut, Hang this square box shaped ornament for any holiday!

Japanese Origami STAR Ornament
Exclusive Planetpals Learn about the Japanese art of paper folding. Make an Origami star ornament from paper squares. Make one for your tree, or several to decorate your house or presents!

Happy Holidays from your Pals at Planetpals.com!

For more ideas before and after the holiday see the green holidays page 

Make Your Own Gift Boxes From Recycled Materials

DIY for Every Occasion Plus Free Patterns to Download

One way to wrap up the holiday greener is to make your own gift boxes.  You can make boxes from recycled materials such as old cereal boxes, oatmeal tubes, and other food containers just by turning them inside out.  It's a good way to renew them.

Download these simple patterns from Planetpals.  Then, once you make your box, you can decorate it.  Leave it natural and decorate with twine and other natural items such as pine cones, or decorate by  painting the box or glueing images.

However you wrap your gifts, they are sure to be conversation pieces!

Happy GREENER Holiday from Planetpals :)

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