Here’s how to make candy cane Christmas playdough that looks and smells amazing! Our favorite homemade playdough recipe and tutorial on how to make playdough for fun holiday gifts.
If you are looking for an easy and inexpensive holiday gift for friends and family, candy cane Christmas playdough is just what you need!
Even better, it’s a gift that your kids can participate in making. It’s easy and fun to make, inexpensive, and once given, encourages creative play.
We LOVE this cooked playdough recipe the best, but if you are looking for other options, we also have a great no-cook recipe!
Christmas Playdough for Holiday Gifts
MATERIALS
- One batch of homemade playdough
- Red food coloring or liquid watercolors
- Peppermint essential oil
- Glitter (optional)
- Plastic containers (or Mason jars)
- holiday fabric cut into squares
- Baker’s twine (yarn works too!)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make your playdough
Use our recipe, or your favorite playdough recipe, to make a batch of playdough. Then, divide it in half. Dye one batch red and leave the other one white. (Note: if you plan on giving this to many friends, you can also make a double batch of playdough and dye one red and leave one white.)
Photo by Rachel Withers - Knead in the extras
After cooling the dough, knead in some glitter for holiday glitz and glamour.
Add peppermint essential oil (about 10 drops per batch) for the yummy candy cane smell.
Photo by Rachel Withers - Roll out and twist your playdough
Cut up playdough into individual portions – divide each batch into 12 or so – and roll each color into snakes and then twist one red and one white one together like a candy cane.
Photo by Rachel Withers - Package up your gifts
Once you have your candy cane twisted, put each playdough twist into a jar.
Then add the fabric, lids, and labels to turn the canning jar into the perfect holiday present!
Photo by Rachel Withers
More Christmas Activities for Kids
- 12 Christmas Sensory Bins for Kids
- How to Make a Homemade Advent Calendar
- 11 Christmas Craft Ideas for Kids
- How To Make A Christmas Coffee Filter Garland
- 11 Easy Christmas Crafts for Toddlers
- 5 Natural Christmas Decorations for Kids
Looking for even more holiday crafts for your family? Check out our Holiday Arts and Crafts bundle from the Kids Art Spot! 12 fun holiday activities, each with a step-by-step video tutorial and printable instructions, plus 12 fun and festive drawing invitations to encourage your kids to think and draw creatively.
Pin It For Later
2 Responses
How long will this playdough last once in the jars? Does it need to refrigerated? Just thinking how long before Christmas can we batch process some gifts to later have at the ready ☺️
Hi Elizabeth,
Our no cook playdough recipe lasts for 1-3 months or so in a jar (without refrigeration). If you’d like something that’s longer lasting you might try our cooked playdough recipe, which pretty much lasts forever! I’ve included the links for you below:
https://artfulparent.com/no-cook-versus-cooked-homemade-playdough-recipe/
https://artfulparent.com/the-best-cooked-playdough-recipe-for-kids/