Gingerbread House Party
Sugarplum fantasies and gingerbread dreams, that's what this special occasion is all about! Build a holiday memory by decorating gingerbread houses, a sweet and spicy tradition for all ages. Guests come with a few favorite candies and nuts and go home with one or more decorated houses! Use the full meal menu above or concentrate on snacks only with the top part of the menu. What a fun activity to look forward to every year!
Make It Special!
You have choices when it comes to gingerbread houses. Follow the recipe for Gingerbread Village, or for an easier option, glue together graham crackers with actual glue or frosting. Either way, you'll want to assemble the houses before the decorating event so guests can put their energies into the fun finishing touches.
Plan-Ahead Success Tips
- Shop for candy-gingerbread house decorations up to 1 month before your event.
- Bake gingerbread; cut, cool and freeze flat unassembled pieces up to 1 month before your event. Thaw the day before the event and assemble.
- Request guests bring decorations to share.
- Place houses on cardboard squares covered with aluminum foil. Guests can decorate the foil "yard" to resemble ice rinks and fill with snowpeople and sleds. The cardboard also makes transportation easier.
- Plan for plenty of table space to spread out decorating supplies and allow room for gingerbread artists to work. Cover tables with inexpensive plastic tablecloths available at party stores. Cover the floor with sheets of plastic available at home stores for quick and easy cleanup.
- Place the food in a separate area from the gingerbread area; make it a self-service buffet and encourage guests to munch as the hungries hit. Keep buffet foods safe by keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
- Serve Make-Ahead Italian Meatballs from a slow cooker or fondue pot.
- Serve Slow Cooker Vegetable Minestrone from the slow cooker it was cooked in.
- Make enough Royal Icing for each guest. Place it in resealable plastic freezer bags (they're stronger); snip off a corner just before using. Make a bag of frosting for each guest plus some extra.
- Have an assortment available of tubes and/or cans of decorator frosting, edible glitter and assorted holiday cookie decors.
Here are some fun decorating ideas to get you started. You'll find more great ideas when you shop!
Great Decoration Ideas
Shutters, shingles and walkways
- candy-striped or plain stick gum
- chocolate bars
- graham or other crackers
- flat round wafer candies
- Chex® cereals
Window frames and/or panes
- square, sugar-coated gum pieces
- pretzel squares
Doors
- wafer cookies
- pretzel sticks
- stick gum
Siding/fences/log piles
- pretzel sticks (large and small)
- cinnamon sticks
Stonework
Trees/greenery
- rosemary sprigs anchored in gumdrops
- upside-down ice-cream cones
- spearmint leaf-shaped gumdrop candies
Snow and igloos
Tree decorations and lights
- silver dragées (not to be eaten)
- chopped multicolored ring-shaped hard candies
Light poles/mailbox posts
- peppermint sticks anchored in gumdrops
Sleds and skis
- stick gum
- graham crackers for sled base; candy canes for sled runners
Gifts
- foil-wrapped rectangular chocolate candies, unwrapped and tied with ribbon
- pillow-shaped hard candies
General decorations
- round swirled hard peppermint candies; red cinnamon candies; candy-coated chocolate candies (regular size and miniature); red and black licorice bites, ropes and twists; chocolate, butterscotch and white baking chips; sugared gummy candies; chocolate kisses; flags on toothpicks
Preparation Guide
Up to 2 Months Before
- Prepare Make-Ahead Italian Meatballs and freeze.
- Make Bread Machine Herb 'n' Crunch Wheat Bread; wrap tightly and freeze.
- Make Candy Cane Cake; tightly wrap unfrosted cake and freeze.
2 Days Before
The Day Before
- Mix lemonade and cranberry juice cocktail for Quick Cranberry Punch; refrigerate.
- Prepare veggies to serve with Easy Fiesta Christmas Tree, including the bell pepper star and green onion base for the tree; refrigerate.
- Prepare veggies and dip, or pick up at the store.
- Remove Herb 'n' Crunch Wheat Bread from freezer.
- Prepare greens and fruit for Heavenly Mixed Greens with Fruit; wrap separately and store in refrigerator. Make Spicy Orange-Honey Dressing; refrigerate covered.
- Remove cake from freezer; frost thawed cake and store covered.
About 9 Hours Before Guests Arrive
- Make Slow Cooker Vegetable Minestrone.
About 1 Hour Before Guests Arrive
- Finish cooking meatballs.
About 15 Minutes Before Guests Arrive
- Add pasta to the minestrone and finish cooking.
- Add ginger ale to the punch.
- Make Easy Fiesta Christmas Tree.