DIY,  DIY | Holidays,  DIY | Kids Parties

Hosting a Gingerbread House Decorating Party for Kids

December 16, 2018 / 746 Comments

Decorating gingerbread houses has become a favorite family tradition in our home. Over the years we have invited friends to join in the fun and now we host a gingerbread house decorating party every Christmas season for the kids and their friends. I’ll share some of my tips and tricks to hosting a successful and simple gingerbread house decorating party for your own family and friends. 

I learned early on that the quicker the decorating portion of the party lasts, the more successful the party will be. I found that the larger and more complex the decorating process is, the more often kids get antsy and bored. And then no one finishes! So rather than buy full size houses for each child, I always pick up a few mini gingerbread house village kits and split them between the kids. 

I set the table with a disposable tablecloth so clean up is quick and easy. This one doubles as a coloring table, which is especially useful for the younger kids if they lose interest or finish quickly. Throughout the table I spread out the various mini gingerbread houses. When the kids arrive they select a house and I break it apart for them so they can begin decorating their gingerbread house. 

Next, I organize all the candy and sprinkles for decorating. When you empty out the contents of the kits you end up with a pile of supplies like this. Not very kid friendly. 

To make it easier for the kids to share the supplies, I open all the gingerbread house candy packages and divide them up. When you have multiple kids waiting for the same supplies they tend to get bored and complain. By dividing them in a muffin tin there are several small sections of candy so each kid can reach for the candy they want quickly and easily.

These are all the supplies included in the kits, divided up into this vintage white muffin tin for quick and easy gingerbread house decorating. 

To give a festive vintage flair to my holiday parties, I use a variety of vintage baking tins. I filled this cute little bell shaped tin with mini M&Ms. M&Ms are not included in the kits, but I like to add extra candy to the gingerbread decorating table and M&Ms are perfect for gingerbread houses.

I also buy add-on kits, like these mini gingerbread men and Christmas trees, and set those out on the table for the kids to decorate.

Throughout the table I add more containers of sprinkles purchased separately from the gingerbread house kits. The sprinkles last for several years. I bring out the same ones every year and sometimes add new ones to always have a wide variety of sprinkle options. 

The gingerbread house decorating holiday table looks so festive when everything has been set up! 

The other tip to prepare for an easy gingerbread holiday decorating party for kids is to divide the frosting bags evenly into smaller bags so every child has their own bag of frosting. In years where I had not taken this step, it took a long time to finish, and the kids were bored quickly while waiting for frosting. 

To divide the frosting you need decorator bags and piping tips. I only use Wilton decorator bags because they are strong and reliable. I bought the 100 pack and always have them on hand. I also purchased 10 size 1 decorator tips and have had such successful kids gingerbread holiday parties ever since!

Cut a hole in the bottom of the bag just large enough to allow the tip to sit in the bottom securely. If you cut the hole too big the tip will push out while the kids are decorating. The bags are larger than you need, so after dividing the frosting into the bags, tie them tightly with twine and cut the excess bag off. Tying off the bag helps reduce the frosting spillage that comes out of the top of the bag when the kids squeeze them. 

Now each kid has their own bag of frosting, with the perfect size tip for piping onto their gingerbread house!

Once the table is set, the guests arrive and the gingerbread house decorating party can start!

The kids really love being able to get together and create beautiful gingerbread houses!

The kids usually decorate for about 30 minutes or so each. It’s quick, easy, and fun!

The gingerbread houses all come out so festive and sweet! The ages of the children at this party ranged from 6-13 years old.

It is so easy to host a gingerbread house decorating party for kids. Just do a little work to prepare the contents and the party will be successful and easy and fun for everyone!

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Want to see more of my Christmas home inspiration? Check out these posts!

A Vintage & White Christmas Cottage Family Room

A Farmhouse Cottage Christmas Home Tour

Styling a Farmhouse Hutch with Vintage Christmas Decor

Decorating a Simple White Flocked Farmhouse Christmas Tree

A Rustic Farmhouse Holiday Tablescape

DIY Vintage Hymnal Song Sheet Christmas Tree Ornaments

Cottage Style Christmas Wrapping Paper Ideas

DIY 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar

Hosting a Gingerbread House Decorating Party for Kids

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