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I love hosting Christmas cookie decorating parties. They’re a fun way to get into the holiday spirit and spend time with friends and family. Cookie decorating brings out everyone’s creativity and adds a festive touch to the season.
These 11 ideas will help make your Christmas cookie decorating party a hit. From choosing the right cookie recipes to setting up decorating stations, I’ll cover everything you need to know. With a little planning, you can throw a party that your guests will remember for years to come.
1. Snowflake Sugar Cookie Design
I love using snowflake shapes for Christmas cookies. They’re classic and beautiful. I start with a basic sugar cookie dough and cut out snowflake shapes.
For decorating, I use royal icing in white and light blue shades. I outline the cookies first, then fill them in.
I add details like swirls and dots to make each snowflake unique. Sometimes I sprinkle on white sanding sugar for extra sparkle.
These cookies always look impressive at holiday parties. Kids and adults alike enjoy the wintery designs. They’re perfect for a cookie decorating get-together too.
2. Gingerbread Man Decorating Station
I love setting up a gingerbread man decorating station at Christmas cookie parties. It’s a fun, interactive activity for guests of all ages.
I provide plain gingerbread cookies and an array of decorating supplies. This includes different colored frostings, sprinkles, and small candies.
I set out plastic knives or piping bags for spreading frosting. Small bowls hold various toppings like chocolate chips and gumdrops.
To keep things tidy, I cover tables with disposable tablecloths. I also put out wet wipes for sticky fingers. This station always brings smiles and creativity to the party.
3. Festive Candy Cane Cookies
I love making candy cane cookies for Christmas parties. They’re fun, festive, and always a hit with guests. To make them, I start with a basic sugar cookie dough and divide it in half.
I add red food coloring to one half of the dough. Then I roll out small ropes of red and white dough. I twist them together to create a candy cane shape.
After baking, I sometimes add a light glaze or sprinkle of powdered sugar. These cookies look great on a plate and fit perfectly with other holiday treats.
They’re not just pretty – they taste delicious too! The peppermint flavor really comes through. Kids and adults alike enjoy helping to make and decorate these festive cookies.
4. Royal Icing Technique Basics
Royal icing is a must-have for cookie decorating parties. I mix confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and water to make it. The ratio is about 1 cup sugar to 1/2 tablespoon meringue powder.
For flooding cookies, I start piping about 3/8 inch from the edge. The icing spreads to fill the gap. This prevents messy overflow.
I use a decorating bag with a small amount of icing for better control. Placing the bag in a cup makes it easier to fill.
These basic techniques help create beautifully decorated cookies. With practice, anyone can master royal icing.
5. Colorful Sprinkle Fits
I love using sprinkles to add fun and flair to Christmas cookies. For a sprinkle-themed party activity, I set out bowls of different colored and shaped sprinkles.
I make sure to include classic red and green, plus festive gold and silver. I also add some fun shapes like stars and snowflakes.
Guests can dip freshly iced cookies into the sprinkles or use tweezers for precise placement. This lets everyone create unique designs.
To prevent mess, I put the sprinkle bowls on trays lined with wax paper. This makes cleanup much easier when the decorating is done.
6. DIY Cookie Decorating Kit
I love putting together DIY cookie decorating kits for my guests. These kits are perfect for those who can’t make it to the party but still want to join in the fun.
I include pre-baked cookies, small bags of frosting, and an assortment of sprinkles in each kit. I also add some plastic piping bags and tips for more detailed designs.
To make it special, I package everything in a festive box or tin. I include a simple instruction card with basic decorating tips and ideas.
These kits are great for sending home with guests too. They can continue decorating cookies even after the party ends.
7. Holiday Cookie Cutter Shapes
I love using festive cookie cutters for Christmas parties. They make decorating so much fun and easy. Some popular shapes I use are snowflakes, stars, trees, and gingerbread people.
Snowmen and angels are great choices too. For a twist, I sometimes use ornament or mitten shapes. These cutters come in various sizes, but I find 3-4 inch ones work well for decorating.
Having a variety of shapes keeps things interesting. It lets guests choose their favorites to decorate. I make sure to have enough cutters so everyone can participate without waiting.
8. Christmas Tree Cookie Art
I love making Christmas tree cookies for holiday parties. They’re fun and easy to decorate. I use tree-shaped cookie cutters and green icing as the base.
For a simple design, I pipe on garlands with white icing. Then I add colorful sprinkles as ornaments. It’s quick but looks festive.
To get creative, I sometimes make abstract tree designs. I use different shades of green icing in swirls or zigzags. Then I dot on ornaments with bright colors.
Kids enjoy helping decorate tree cookies too. I set out bowls of candies and let them add their own ornaments. It keeps them entertained at holiday gatherings.
9. Elegant Lace Decorating Style
I love the refined look of lace-inspired cookie designs for Christmas. To create this style, I use white royal icing to pipe delicate patterns onto cookies.
I start with a solid base color, then add intricate swirls, dots, and lines to mimic lace textures. Small edible pearls or silver dragées make perfect accents.
This technique works beautifully on snowflake, ornament, or Christmas tree shaped cookies. For an extra festive touch, I sometimes dust the finished cookies with a light shimmer of edible glitter.
While it takes practice, the results are stunning and sure to impress guests at any holiday gathering.
10. North Pole Winter Wonderland Theme
I love creating a North Pole Winter Wonderland theme for cookie decorating parties. It’s a magical way to get everyone in the holiday spirit.
I set up snowy landscapes using white felt and cotton batting. Sparkly snowflakes and icicles hang from the ceiling to add a frosty touch.
For the cookie station, I use a white tablecloth and sprinkle artificial snow around the edges. Small evergreen trees and tiny reindeer figurines complete the North Pole look.
I provide frosty blue, white, and silver icings for guests to decorate their cookies. Edible glitter and snowflake-shaped sprinkles are perfect for adding wintry touches to the treats.
11. Reindeer Cookie Faces
Reindeer cookie faces are a fun and easy decoration idea for a Christmas cookie party. I like to start with round sugar cookies as the base. Then I use chocolate chips or M&Ms for the eyes and nose.
For antlers, I break pretzel twists into curved shapes. Frosting works great to stick everything on. Kids love making silly expressions on their reindeer faces.
This activity is simple enough for all ages. It’s a good way to get everyone involved in decorating. Plus, the finished cookies look adorable on a holiday dessert tray.
