When you think of Halloween, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Candy! With nearly three-quarters of American households planning to hand out fistfuls of candy on Halloween this year, you’re bound to be on either the giving or receiving end. Either way, your family will likely wind up with a whole lot of extras after the night is over.

Once your family has reached its candy-intake limits, what will you do with the sweet surplus? Don’t haul leftover Halloween candy to the trash can just yet — first, consider some of these fun, unique ways to turn extra candy into a charming homemade craft. Best of all, these decadent adornments won’t cost you anything more than some creativity and elbow grease.

Start with a Styrofoam ball and use hot glue to affix a ribbon loop to the top for hanging. Use various colors of hard candies to cover the surface of the ball. Hang the ornament near a window so the sunlight illuminates the candies, creating a sweet, shimmering statement.

Sometimes the loveliest effects are also the simplest. Add your prettiest candy leftovers to a clear bowl, and embellish it with a ribbon. You can either go for a monochromatic look (all reds or all darks) or mix and match various shades to create an eclectic potpourri of flavors. Group several candy bowls together to create a fun, festive centerpiece.

What better way to welcome guests than with a dash of sugar and a candy wreath? Start with a preformed wire wreath found in the craft aisle, or create your own by bending a wire coat hanger into two or three circles. When choosing the candies to decorate your wreath, you may want to settle on a single theme or color scheme. For instance, chocoholics can use various types of miniature chocolate bars wrapped in metallic colors. To create a winter wreath for holiday display, choose hard candies wrapped in red, gold, green or white interspersed with red-and-white peppermint candies. For a springtime wreath, pastel-colored taffy candies work well. Another cheerful idea is to create a lollipop wreath with ribbons tied around each stick.

Sure to delight children and adults alike, this fun and easy project turns sweets into sprouts. Begin by picking up a simple clay pot from your local gardening store. After sanding down the exterior, apply two coats of a paint color and an optional glaze finish. After the paint is dry, use a hot glue gun to attach hard candies to the outside of the pot and along its edge. You can choose a single color, use two or three coordinating colors or create a rainbow. Next, cut some wooden craft sticks into varying lengths, paint them green and lay them out to dry. Line your pot with polystyrene or Styrofoam. Once the sticks are dry, “plant” them inside the pot and glue candies on top to create sugary blossoms.

Instead of spending money on a new picture frame, transform an ordinary wooden frame by embellishing it with decorative candy. Begin by painting the frame the color of your choice, then use a hot glue gun to attach various types of candies. Use sweets that reflect the subject and personality of the photo. For a romantic picture of a couple, use conversation hearts or cinnamon candies. If using the frame to display a snapshot of your little trick-or-treaters in their costumes, decorate the frame with candy corn. To create a holiday-themed frame, use candy canes. Once you glue the candy on, coat the entire frame with sealant to keep everything in place.

Pick up some jewelry twine from the craft aisle and thread on some leftover candy pieces to create a decorative candy garland. Candies with holes work best (think Lifesavers), but you can also pierce holes in gummy candy, marshmallows and red-hots. String the garland over the doorway of a kid’s bedroom or playroom, or use it to decorate for a child’s birthday party. It also makes a creative trimming for gift packages.

Leftover candy provides a fun, creative way to jazz up ho-hum wrapping paper. Start with a plain metallic paper, and then use glue to affix miniature candy bars, Smarties, foil-wrapped candies, Hershey’s kisses, red-and-white mints, red hots and other pretty sweets. For a personal touch, use candy that you know the recipient particularly enjoys.

With these easy, budget-friendly candy decorating ideas, your Halloween leftovers become fodder for some great craft ideas. We hope you’ll be inspired to tackle your own family crafting project. The best part is, these sweet surprises let you enjoy the beauty of candy without the calories.