Jolly goods
CANDY CANES: Make lovey-dovey treats!
“Everyone has candy canes left over, and you never know what to do with them,” says Miller. Consider saving them for Valentine’s Day — “I’m always looking ahead to the next holiday,” she says — or have kids place them facing each other atop cupcakes, or put them out on your table for a post-Christmas brunch that makes guests feel the love.
Adds Miller, “One other delicious way to use them is to crush them up to sprinkle onto your hot chocolate — or take one to stir your cocoa and add some minty flavor.”
Donate the extras
Miller loves working with the Birthday Party Project, a nonprofit that throws parties for kids at homeless and transitional living facilities around the country, including three shelters in New York. It accepts wrapping paper, extra plastic tablecloths, art supplies such as markers or crayons, streamers, and party hats, as well as gift cards and presents. Visit TheBirthdayPartyProject.org for more info, or send your goodies to: XO Group Inc. Attn: The Birthday Party Project 195 Broadway, 25th Floor New York, NY 10007
GELT: Personalize it!
“I actually do a lot with chocolate coins all yearround,” says Miller, who suggests changing up the metallic façade with customized stickers printed on adhesive Avery label paper. (Plain paper works well, too. Just cut the photos into uniform circles and attach with double-sided tape.)
Print photos of family and friends taken over the course of the year and have kids fashion them into a calendar (pictured) to give as gifts before the new year. “Black-and-white photos work best for a uniform look,” she says.
Or, scatter them on to your New Year’s table so guests can marvel at cute memories from the year as they snack. They also make charming party favors or place cards: Use a fun Instagram shot of your guests on one side and write their names on the other.