Host a cookie exchange that goes beyond holiday cookies. After exchanging the cookies, everyone bakes and decorates a Gingerbread Birdhouse Ornament to take home. Be sure to write BYOA (for “bring your own apron”) on the invitations!
Make Holiday Cookies and Tags
- Everyone makes one of the recipes, baking enough cookies so each participant gets one dozen of each kind of cookie. Print out cookie tags with cookie names to attach to each tray of cookies.
Wrap and Decorate Cookie Trays
- Purchase inexpensive large plastic or metal holiday trays for cookie collecting (one for each guest). Set the trays out on a table. Guests can divide and arrange their cookies among the trays. Wrap the trays with red or green plastic wrap, and attach a cookie tag to each. Add a colorful ribbon if desired.
Make Birdhouse Ornaments
- Before the party, make the dough and frosting for the Gingerbread Birdhouse Ornaments. Supply a rolling pin, cookie cutters, straws and cookie sheets for baking the cookies. Have pretzels, powdered sugar, holly candy decors, tubes of green decorating icing and gold string available for guests to decorate and hang the baked birdhouse ornaments.
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