Hi PM..sounds like you have some neat ideas to offer them.
As far as coming up with something else edible..
the first thing I thought of was 'Stained Glass Cookies'.
I used to make them years ago for my Craft Tree.
All you do is cut out regular sugar cookies (I used stars,
snowflakes, trees, etc) once you cut out the shape, place it on a 'Well Greased' cookie sheet. Cut a circle out in the middle of the cookie dough...large enough to create a 'window effect' but not too big so the cookie will fall apart after baking). Take hard candy- remove wrappers,(I buy a bag of sour balls in different flavors)...place them in a zip lock back and 'crush them' into small pieces. You will then have pieces of the candy in different colors all mixed together. Scoop some up and place in the center of each cookie. (don't overload). Also, make a slit or small hole in each cookie, so after it's baked, you will have this hole to run a string or ribbon through. Bake the cookies as usual.(don't overbake) Now the fun part, you will see the hard candy start to melt and the colors mix together. Let them 'Cool Completely, before removing to cool further on a rack.
Once completely cooled run a ribbon or string thru the hole. When you place them in the light, each one will have a 'stained glass' effect. They are pretty to hang on a tree or anywhere, and can be eaten. I've cut out a free form Church design with the dough and made stained glass windows and door. I placed them on a window ledge and they looked so pretty in the light.
Hope this is one suggestion that's helpful.

Sounds like a fun gathering for your parents, but I know can be stressful when trying to think of clever and inexpensive ideas.
Good luck.

jane

oooo... thank you, Jane! Stained glass cookies is a great idea!!! I especially like using your idea of a church design. My dad would love to make something like that!

I just looked at my bags of halloween candy and thought of something really simple that I think would be super cute: take foiled-wrapped candies like Ande's Mints and Hershey's Nuggets and stack them into little ribbon-tied 'package bundles'! I'll see if I can do a test run that looks good.

I'm thinking that they might choose to do a mix or arrangement, so the more ideas I can give them the better! :) I was a helper at their xmas luncheon two years ago, and I think there were more than 100 in attendance.

PM...Wow 100 in attendance..sounds like it will be a nice event.
Let me know how it goes..and what you all finally
choose to do.
Your candy idea sounds nice too.
Once again, good luck and have fun in the process.

jane

Thought I'd mention all the free wrappers and tags that are available if you have a printer. I've seen them for large and mini candy bars, and round tags used as stickers on peanut butter cups or the chocolate covered mints or even as cupcake toppers. If you have the right computer program, you could even design your own especially for the ocassion.

Hope you let us know what you come up with.

Luvs

Have you seen the "mice" cookies made out of stemmed maraschino cherries dipped in chocolate with Hershey Kiss heads resting on half of an oreo cookie?
They are soooo cute and everybody who sees them, raves about them.
You take the top off of an Oreo cooke and save the white frosted part to use as the base.
Dip a stemmed cherry in melted chocolate and lay on the white frosting with the stem facing backward like the tail of the mouse.
Place a dab of chocolate on the base of the Hershey Kiss.
Use 2 sliced almonds pressed into the chocolate as ears and press against the cherry. The base of the kiss goes against the cherry with the almonds in between as the ears.
Use green frosting gel and place 2 dots on the Kiss as eyes.
Place a red hot or cinnamon candy on the center of the white frosting by one side of the mouse and pipe green gel leaves on either side of the red hot. It is just a green squiggle on either side, but it gives the effect of holly.
You could also use a dot of red piping gel on the tip of the Kiss as a nose, but it isn't really necessary.
When done, the mouse faces sideways with the holly in front!
They take some time, but aren't that expensive as the cherries usually come in a jar with a large number of cherries, and probably 3 bags of Oreos would give 100 bases.
I always get people raving over them when I make them for my Christmas Open House.

TTFN,
Candy

Here's an easy one that we got at a craft show a few yrs back! "Snowman Poop!" Put miniature marshmallows in a tiny ziplock bag (like jewelry size bag) & there's a poem that goes with it:

Or hand-write this message from Santa and attach to the gift bag:

"I hear you've been naughty,
So listen, here's the scoop...
I'm running short on coal this year,
So you get "Snowman Poop."
from Santa

Well, I really waited to post this idea PartyM, because I knew the other "holiday-ers" would have really cool ideas! Here's a link to Snowman Poop." LOL! Kids/GK's thought it was real funny...maybe your Mom's group would too! Jeanne S.

Here is a link that might be useful: Snowman Poop

These are all great ideas -- thank you so much!

Jane, my stacked candy package attempt wasn't very successful, but I only have the 'Nuggets' to play with. I found/bought new Ande's 'chips' to put in cookies!!! but didn't find the standard Ande's Mints.

Thanks, Luvs, I will remind them. They do like to use their printer.

Candy, I searched out a picture and those mice are just too cute! I also showed my sisters and learned that they've both made them before! geesh.

Jeanne, that is a cute idea, and I'll pass it on too.

One other idea I came up with on Saturday was to get small cups to use as pots, and root a bunch of christmas cactus cuttings. The cup could be wrapped pretty for presentation. I told her about that idea on Saturday night and I think she really liked it. We both have tons of xmas cactus to take cuttings from... I'm just not 100% sure that they'll be rooted in time.

Will let you all know what they decide!

These are all great ideas -- thank you so much!

Jane, my stacked candy package attempt wasn't very successful, but I only have the 'Nuggets' to play with. I found/bought new Ande's 'chips' to put in cookies!!! but didn't find the standard Ande's Mints.

Thanks, Luvs, I will remind them. They do like to use their printer.

Candy, I searched out a picture and those mice are just too cute! I also showed my sisters and learned that they've both made them before! geesh.

Jeanne, that is a cute idea, and I'll pass it on too.

One other idea I came up with on Saturday was to get small cups to use as pots, and root a bunch of christmas cactus cuttings. The cup could be wrapped pretty for presentation. I told her about that idea on Saturday night and I think she really liked it. We both have tons of xmas cactus to take cuttings from... I'm just not 100% sure that they'll be rooted in time.

Will let you all know what they decide!

sorry for the double post! it gave me an Internal Server error and got all screwed up.

Keep plugging away PM...
You've got lots of great ideas coming in all you have to do
is figure out which one!
Again, keep us posted and let us know the final
results.

jane

PM, sounds like you have alot of great ideas already. Here is a star ornament you make with wire. I hope to get some of these made this year. I was thinking of making trees also. Just a different idea for you or others.

Punk

http://familyfun.go.com/christmas/christmas-ornaments/wired-star-661396/

This is a picture of one of my boughten ones that is painted white and glitter added.

Hello. I wanted to reply to this before I wasn't able to find the thread again. Some wanted to know what their final decision was...

My father really liked the "mice" idea, and Mom said that anything edible is always a big hit, so they're planning to make the "mice" and also make some decorated chocolate-dipped candy canes. :)