Maybe Matilda: Dare to Entertain: Peppermint Chex Mix + DIY Favor Boxes

Welcome to week two of Dare to DIY, a holiday DIY challenge cohosted by me, Newly Woodwards, Décor and the Dog, and Shift Ctrl Art! Each week, we choose a holiday-related theme and encourage you to join in by creating your own project that fits the theme, and join it up to a link party hosted by one of us.

This week’s theme is Dare to Entertain—make sure to hop over to Décor and the Dog to join in the link party and share your project, and visit all the cohosts to see what we’ve come up with this week! As a reminder, next week’s theme will be Dare to Give Handmade, and the link party will be Monday, 12/8, right here on my blog. I hope you’ll join in and share your handmade gifts!

Gingerbread Man Place Cards by Décor and the Dog // Truffle Box Place Card by Newly Woodwards // Felt Tree Centerpiece by Shift Ctrl Art // Peppermint Chex Mix and Favor Boxes by Maybe Matilda

I always think Dare to Entertain is the hardest week. I’m not a big entertainer—I like the occasional small dinner party, but I really don’t enjoy putting on big events. And if given the choice between staying home with a book and attending a party—well, it’s hardly even a question.

I was thinking back on past Christmas parties (not thrown by me) to try and come up with an idea for this week, and remembered a Christmas party my sister-in-law Mindy threw a few years ago. She put out a big bowl of the most amazing peppermint Chex mix with white chocolate and candy cane bits, and it’s barely an exaggeration to say I ate about half of the bowl myself.

It’s become a regular Christmas treat in our house since that party, and I think it would make the perfect Christmas party favor for guests to take home after a holiday get-together, or (more realistically for me) a great gift to drop off at friends’ and neighbors’ houses around the holidays. I made my own little favor boxes to pack the Chex mix inside of, and let’s pretend I’m going to throw a Christmas party and hand these out. (I most likely won’t.)

First up, the goodies. Proceed with caution. This stuff is downright inhalable. So delicious and so Christmas-y and don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Peppermint Chex Mix
recipe from my sister-in-law, Mindy

5 cups Rice Chex
12 ounces (1/2 package) vanilla almond bark (or any white chocolate or vanilla candy melts)
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes (5 normal-sized candy canes—I put them in a sandwich bag, wrapped it in a towel, and hammered it into oblivion)

Pour the Chex into a large bowl, and melt the almond bark according to the package directions. Pour the melted almond bark over the Chex, and add half of the crushed candy canes. Stir, stir, stir to evenly coat all the Chex pieces.

Pour them out onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper (or a Silpat) and spread out evenly. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining crushed candy canes. Set aside to allow the almond bark to set (about 20 minutes). When it has hardened, break into chunks.

Irresistible.

The Favor Boxes

I wanted to deliver some of the Chex mix to our neighbors, so I used my Silhouette Portrait to make easy favor boxes.

I used this box template from the Silhouette Online Store, and cut the pieces out of white cardstock. I wanted to use colorful, festive papers for my boxes, but I couldn’t find any I liked that were thick enough to make a sturdy box, so I first cut the boxes from heavy white cardstock, then glued colorful papers to the finished box.

Then I used my Silhouette to cut little gift tags (I used the gift tag that comes pre-loaded in the Silhouette library), as well as some letters that I glued to the tags, and tied them on with coordinating ribbon. (Just a note—I used hot glue to assemble my boxes, but it probably wasn’t the best choice, if you’re a craft perfectionist. It made for some bumpy edges. No biggie, just FYI.)