OK, so this might seem like something of a daft subject. How do you use Christmas sweets? Well, dear reader, you eat them. You take the wrappers off, if wrappers they have. You put them in your mouth. Then you chew, or suck, or crunch, or a combination of all three until the delightful little morsels are gone. There; that’s that problem dealt with. HOWEVER, sweets don’t just need to be plonked in a box on the coffee table for casual gorging whenever the mood takes. If you feel like doing something different, you can use them creatively as part of your festivities. Interested? Here’s a few ideas to get you started.

Five Ways to Use Christmas Sweets

Christmas sweets and chocolates come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes these days. From individual pop-in-the-mouth jobs to yard-long extravaganzas. And while it’s always nice to have a sharing tub available, you can use Christmas sweets and treats in other ways too.

DIY advent calendar

Image credit: RealMumReview.com

Apart from Christmas day itself, advent calendars have to be one of the most exciting things about December for children. They provide a wonderful daily hit of pleasure that really marks the start of the festive season. It’s easy enough to buy a ready-made advent calendar off the shelf. But if you want to make this year really special, it doesn’t take a huge amount of effort to make your own. The lovely thing about a homemade advent calendar is that you can customise it. So, you’re not tied into a fixed selection of sweets that may include ones the recipient doesn’t care for (always such a disappointment!). And if you wish to, you can mix it up with some extra special larger treats throughout the month.

Elf on the Shelf

If your family has embraced the Elf on the Shelf concept, Christmas sweets can offer an affordable way to keep the treats rolling through December. For just £1, a giant Love Hearts tube makes a wonderful gift for your naughty elf to hide. While a 3kg party pack would give you enough goodies to see your elf through a full month of high jinks.

Alternative Christmas cake

It might be traditional, but let’s face it, Christmas cake isn’t for everyone. And if you’ve the time to make one, it can be nice to provide an alternative for the children and adults who aren’t big fans. There are plenty of options for making your non-fruit Christmas cake. But while complicated recipes and intricate decorations are great for those with the wherewithal, if you have little ones, it’s just as much fun to whip up a sponge, slather on some icing and let the kids get creative with a bag of their favourite Swizzels. Alternatively, the Swizzels Loadsa Sweets Party cake is stocked in Tesco, Asda and Morrisons.

Send a sweet surprise

No matter our age, one of the things we never grow out of is excitement at receiving something unexpected – and nice – in the post. You might be sending a gift to some little friends or simply looking for a way to bring a smile to your own kids. Either way, a letterbox-friendly sweets hamper is guaranteed to do the job – and they’re great value too.

Homemade Christmas crackers

Whether you’re throwing a Christmas party for your kids and their friends, or looking for something a bit different for your family table on December 25th, homemade Christmas crackers can be a wonderful touch.  And having some Christmas sweets inside makes a great alternative to the standard plastic tat. It’s more environmentally friendly too! A selection of Swizzels Pick ‘n’ Mix is really cost effective. And as an added bonus, they’re quite fun to make. So, if you’re looking for a way to keep the kids entertained at the start of the Christmas holidays, you can get them involved too!

Christmas sweets were made for eating. That’s their raison d’être. But that doesn’t mean that they have to be mindlessly consumed. Sweets were always intended for treating. So why not do something special with yours this Christmas? We’d love to see what you can come up with!