Melted Peppermint Candy Ornaments

This is a fun, easy way to make ornaments for the tree.
This craft activity is courtesy of the preschool class at The Early Learning Center in Alpine County.

You will need:
green and red hard peppermint candies
pipe cleaners or ribbon
cookie sheets
parchment paper
oven set to 350 degrees

• Set your candies in any design you like, leaving plenty of room because they will spread a great deal when they melt.
• Cook in preheated oven set at 300 degrees for about 7 minutes.
• Make sure you watch since that is the best part!
• The mints in the middle will lag behind those on the edges. You can press on them with a spatula or potholder after you remove them from the oven to "catch them up" to the outer candies.
• Carve a small hole with a sharp object and insert pipecleaner or ribbon.
• If you prefer set shapes, you can place your mints in a metal cookie cutter and the candies will melt into that shape, without damaging your cookie cutter.