Kids can brighten up the Christmas tree by creating their own ornaments and tree-toppers using pipe cleaners, foil, and felt.

Peppermints are the coolest holiday sweets -- especially when transformed into edible hanging ornaments. Lay five or so peppermint candies in a circle to form a wreath; bond sides together with icing. Adorn front with cinnamon candies or mints. Let dry two hours before hanging. Loop twine around ornament; knot.

Transform common office supplies into unique Christmas ornaments. For tree, cut a half shape along crease of a file folder; unfold; punch a hole for a string. To create a star topper, cut a slit in each of two retail-sign sunbursts; interlock and secure with foil medallion stickers. Make a garland by linking paper clips. For pinecones, fold red sales tags in half; trim sides with scalloping scissors. Craft a bell out of tags by cutting into shape; add round stickers for the clapper (place two back to back). Use highlighters and stickers to decorate dangling key tags (punch an extra hole and link them). Join two tags with rectangular stickers to make an ornament resembling wrapped candy.

Holiday cards make perfect ornaments: dazzling and delicate yet impossible to break. In a few steps, kids can turn cards into darling globes or circles that lock together, ready to twirl.

To make, cut two disks identical in size from a card; you can use a circle punch, or trace a round object and cut with scissors. Cut a slit halfway across each disk. In one circle, punch a hole near the edge opposite the cut with a hole punch. Hold the disks so that the slits face each other. Slide the slit of one disk all the way into the other (you should feel the disks "lock"). Thread string through the hole, and tie a knot.

Dress up the tree with shiny ornaments made out of foil. Turn cupcake liners inside out; stack, and then glue back-to-back; tie on yarn to hang. Poke string lights through small liners for a radiant glow.

Form fluffy baubles in any color under the sun with a pom-pom maker.

Hanging old toys on the Christmas tree with the kids spreads joy: You will be pleased to have less clutter, and the toys will be happy to be rescued from their dusty corners. Ask the children to help pick which toys to transform.

To hang: Use needle and embroidery thread to stitch through soft toys, insert screw eyes into wooden toys, or wind embroidery thread through an opening or around a narrow part of the toy.

With some help from mom, little ones can craft candy cane ornaments from pipe cleaners.

Imagine a whole tree decorated with your kids' drawings, or a favorite picture dangling on the end of Dad's keychain. To make small, sturdy ornaments, print artwork onto shrinkable plastic film. Cut around the image, and punch a hole at the top with a standard-size hole punch (the hole will shrink too). Bake and cool the plastic according to the package instructions, and thread hooks or key rings through the holes.

Colorful stray buttons can be put to new use as Christmas ornaments. If you don't have enough loose buttons, or the right colors, don't worry -- crafts stores sell them by the bagful.

These easy-to-create wreath ornaments make great gifts as well as charming additions to your own tree.

Kids can spread holiday cheer by making these festive tassels for their tree. Wrap yarn around cardboard (ours was 3 1/2 inches high) at least 10 times. Loop yarn for hanger under top strands; pull tight. Cut through bottom loops. Tie yarn around tassel near the top; trim ends evenly.

Tape waxed paper over a hand-drawn snowflake shape. After dipping yarn in white glue, lay yarn on waxed paper, following design underneath. Let it dry for several hours until it's stiff, then remove. Tie on a thread loop and decorate the tree.

Decorate the tree with merry ornaments filled with holiday treats. Cones can be cut from plain colored paper or from greeting cards.

To create, draw an arc onto a corner of the construction paper or card using a compass opened up as wide as it can go. Using a pair of pinking shears, cut inside the line. Roll the paper into a cone and staple; reinforce with tape along the inside seam. To decorate a plain paper cone, draw an oval (we used a stencil from an art-supply store) around a chosen image from a greeting card, and cut just inside the line with pinking shears. Glue the cutout to the front of the cone. Punch a hole on both sides of the cone, thread a ribbon through, and knot the ends.

Bring winter indoors and make your tree twinkle with paper snowflake ornaments. Hang your lacy patterns with a paper clip bent open to form an S.

These tiny fabric creatures with their red-and-white-striped tails make charming Christmas ornaments for kids to make with mom.

Print the Mouse Template

Made out of sour gummy worms, peppermint, and gumdrops, these holiday carolers will look sweet hanging from the tree.

To hang, insert wire through ornament, from top to bottom, until end pokes out. Using your fingers, or needle-nosed pliers, bend the bottom at a right angle and clip off the extra with a nail clipper. Bend the top end into a hook.