Our family loves Christmas parties, but our absolute favorite tradition has to be our annual gingerbread house party! We’ve hosted with family, friends, and even neighbors, and every year is a total blast. Over the years, I’ve picked up some clever tricks to keep things fun and stress-free. So, if you’re thinking of throwing your own unforgettable gingerbread house party, stick around for some of our best tips!
It may sound funny, but we don’t actually use gingerbread for our “gingerbread house” party. Here’s our little secret: graham crackers are the way to go! Baking gingerbread from scratch is time-consuming, especially right before a big gathering. Plus, graham crackers are easier to work with and super versatile—you can make anything from houses to boats to train stations. With graham crackers, the sky’s the limit, and everyone gets to let their creativity shine!
When it comes to things to decorate your gingerbread houses, let your imagination go wild. Colorful candies like gum drops or seasonal ones like candy canes are a must, of course. But we also love to use marshmallows, breakfast cereals, pretzels, popcorn, and ice cream cones. Sprinkles are a fun choice for adding color and texture.
To keep things both organized and fun, ask each guest to bring a few specific items. This way, you’ll avoid duplicates and create an even bigger selection of treats for everyone to choose from! This way, you won’t end up with a room full of the same candy, and everyone gets to contribute!
Instead of buying frosting, I like to whip up a big batch at home with my Bosch mixer and color it myself. It’s super easy to pipe out fun designs on the houses using piping bags or zip-top bags!
We keep all the candies and decorations on my kitchen island, and everyone grabs a paper plate and loads up with their favorite goodies. It’s like a candy buffet. I don’t bother setting it out all pretty; you could make this a Pinterest worthy event, but my gingerbread house party is usually a more casual affair.
To give everyone something sturdy to build their creation on, we use foam boards or sturdy cardboard covered with aluminum foil.
This might sound crazy, but using a hot glue gun to assemble your gingerbread house is a total game changer. It’s so much easier than using frosting. Houses are sturdier and assembly is much faster. Personally, we don’t ever plan on eating our creations, so the hot glue is not a problem.
If you’re planning to use this tip, be sure to have plenty of glue guns on hand—one for every couple of guests is ideal. Since this has become an annual event for us, I’ve built up a collection over the years just for our gingerbread house party. And don’t forget the glue sticks!
Bonus Tip: If you’re adding detailed piping or frosting designs, it’s easier to do it on each piece before assembling the house. Laying the pieces flat lets you get more precise results.
Everyone has so much fun decorating at our gingerbread house party. From adults to kids, everybody has a great time, and I love seeing all the creativity shine.
Sometimes we vote for the best, but most of the time we just enjoy the process of decorating and hanging out together while we do it.
I love Christmastime and hosting Christmas parties. Everything from creating a fancy tablescape to decorating my tree makes me excited! I have a LOT of Christmas related posts on my website. So if you are looking for some holiday inspiration, click here and check them out.
Start with easy-to-use supplies like graham crackers and a variety of candy decorations. Set up a central station so guests can grab supplies as they need.
Using hot glue instead of icing for assembly makes building faster and more stable, though it’s only suitable if the houses won’t be eaten.
Try candies like gumdrops, marshmallows, and pretzels for variety. Let guests bring their favorites to expand options!