How to Host a Gingerbread House Party

To plan the party

1. Choose your party date. Consider if a weekend or a weekday is best for you and your potential guests.
2. Put together a guest list. I recommend a smaller crowd, especially if there are children present as they will need adult supervision. Somewhere between 6-12 guests is ideal. If you do a bigger group, consider how much space you have to do multiple houses. It may be better to have people team up to build one house.
3. Send your invitations. You can send out an email, a text message or a printed invitation, so do whatever works best for you. Be sure to include if you want people to bring candy decorations or a refreshment with them.
4. Decide if you will bake your own gingerbread or buy kits. Then purchase materials.
5. Plan what, if anything, you will serve alongside the gingerbread house decorating. I like to involve a savory element, like a simple crostini (or another hand-held appetizer) or a cheese board, as well as a drink (whether it's of the alcoholic variety or a festive hot cocoa).
6. Plan where your food will be served and where the houses will be built. They should be separate. Also consider how the houses will make it home after the party is over. You can ask guests to bring their own box.
7. Prepare the gingerbread. Bake it if you’re doing that. If you are assembling the houses ahead of time, do that 1-2 days before.
8. On the day of the party, prepare the decoration stations with bowls and muffin tins full of candies and edible decorations. Wrap the tables in newspaper or cover with table cloths. Put a tarp or dropcloth on the floor to catch spills of icing and candy.
9. Turn on the holiday playlist and get ready to decorate the houses with guests!
10. Optional: Decorate. You need to clear a space for the houses to be on display, but other than that, you can add as many decorations as you want or leave your decor as it is. I've listed some of my favorite simple decoration options in the post above.
11. Optional: Plan to play a game. If your people are competitive, you can play a game involving the gingerbread houses! Have guests vote on the best or most creative theme. There are lots of fun options. Offer a little prize for the winner.
12. Take a deep breath, keep your cool and have fun! After all, this is supposed to be FUN, so don't let the stress of hosting make it unenjoyable for you.

To build a gingerbread house

1. First, construct the houses. If you are using a kit, follow the instructions!
2. It helps to start by joining two of the walls with icing. Adhere them to the base with more icing. Then repeat with the other two walls to form a square. Let them dry a little bit so the structure can support the roof. If you are using graham crackers, you can glue them right onto the milk carton.
3. Then pipe icing around the top of the structure, which will hold the roof. Hold it in place for a couple of minutes to ensure it doesn’t fall. Then repeat with the other side of the roof.
4. Then you can begin decorating! Use icing to stick on candies along the walls and roof. You can make doors, windows and shingles on the roof. (For windows and doors, you can sometimes find pre-made candies to use. You can also make these by piping on more icing.)
5. Once your house is complete, decorate the yard. Spread icing down and create paths with candy. Stick on shredded coconut or sanding sugar for snow.
6. If you want to make trees, you can use upside-down ice cream cones piped with green icing. I recommend using a star tip.