Gingerbread House Decorating Party

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A Gingerbread House Decorating Party is such a fun idea for the kids these holidays. Why not host a Gingerbread House Decorating Party, which all the kids can get involved and make their own Gingerbread House.

You can choose to bake the gingerbread houses but if you are short of time, the pre-packaged Gingerbread House Decorating Kits are super convenient. They come with everything you need to construct your Gingerbread House, although never enough decorations so I suggest to add a few extra candies for decorations. The Mini Gingerbread House kits are just the right size to keep the kids attention. The younger kids tend to lose interest decorating a larger house.

Gingerbread house making collage of 4 different images

For the younger party guests I would suggest you pre-make their Gingerbread house so it is ready for them to add the decorations. It is best to make these up the night before so the icing can set. This should hopefully stop the houses collapsing if they press too hard when placing their decorations. For the older kids, you can leave it up to them to assemble their house on the day.

Gingerbread House Kit Gingerbread House Kit Gingerbread Cookie Kit

Kids Christmas Party Drinks would be a great idea to make for this party as the kids will get very thirsty once they start nibbling on the candy and icing.

Set out the Gingerbread houses on a cake board or sturdy piece of cardboard. This will make them easier to move once decorated.

Cover the table you are using with a disposable table cloth or craft butches paper because trust me it is going to get messy. I also like to provide the kids with a Christmas themed apron to wear while decorating.

Gingerbread-house-making-step-by-step-how-to

Give each child their own work space, icing and tools. Make sure to include a spatula as the kids will find it easier to use this to spread the icing on the roof. The extra decorations can be placed in bowls around the table to share.

Related: Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

Always have extra icing on hand as the kids will use a lot of it. You could also have some different colored icing on offer. Try using squeeze bottles of icing for the younger kids and icing bags for the older kids.

This simple recipe makes the best royal icing to decorate your Gingerbread house.

2 egg whites at room temperature (or you can use pasteurized egg whites)

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Slowly add the powdered sugar until you have the right consistency (you may not need all 3 cups). Add the vanilla and beat again until soft peaks form.

If you would prefer a royal icing that does not contain eggs, this one has a great consistency.

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

4 tsp milk

2-3 tsp corn syrup

½ tsp vanilla

Mix the milk and sugar until smooth. Stir in 2 tsp of corn syrup and vanilla. If you want a thinner consistency, add another tsp of corn syrup.

Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Make sure to serve some healthy snacks after the Gingerbread House decorating. I am sure after eating all decorating candy and sampling the icing, the kids will appreciate something healthy and savory to eat.

This is a tradition my kids and I look forward to each year. As they get older and their decorating skills grow, the masterpieces they create are getting more elaborate. I hope you enjoy this party as much as we do.

Gingerbread House Cupcakes

These cupcakes would be a lovely treat to make for the kids. They are quite adorable and very cute, you might need to make these when you have some time and patience.