how to: host a cookie decorating party

It officially feels like the holiday season now: last weekend I had some blogger lady friends over for an afternoon of Christmas cookie decorating, and we're all feeling the seasonal spirit after getting our sprinkles on. The holidays are of course an excellent excuse to get some people together and have some fun, and this is my favorite annual event to host - in the past I've done it with girlfriends, couples friends, church small group friends, and kids, and it's always a great time for all.

Looks fun and yummy, right? If you want to host one of your own, the basics are pretty straightforward: all you really need are some cutout cookies, frosting, and sprinkles in order to get a group of friends together and let everyone have at it for a good time. But here are some tips for success:

Invites: this is a crazy time of year, so it helps to get those invites out early, and to pick a time that works around other holiday events - I figured 3 pm was workable between peoples' Christmas shopping and any evening parties they might have. These great invite cards I used are from Tiny Prints, and they were the perfect inspiration for the color scheme/decor for the rest of the party prep!

Pre-prep: cut down on party prep stress by cutting out and baking your cookies well ahead of time (I recommend this recipe, of course). They keep great in the freezer and take only a couple of hours to thaw, so you can knock this part out even several weeks in advance and then just pull them out the day of the event.

Supplies: for icing, I always do the most simple powdered sugar + milk mix. It's easy to make, sets hard and shiny, and holds sprinkles well - plus I think it tastes really yummy. (For more icing tips, see this post on The Kitchn. It's pretty much everything I do, down to the squeeze bottles, which work great for those fancy marbelized designs made by dragging toothpicks through the icing. Learn how to make them ahead of time - here and here - and wow your guests with a tutorial!). Beyond supplying a few icing colors, any assortment of sprinkles for decorating works great.

Setup: covering the table with something disposable (I used wrapping paper) makes for easy cleanup because you can just fold all the frosting drippings and spilled sprinkles into it and toss. Then I put out a paper plate for everyone to decorate on along with piles of cookies, icing in bowls and squeeze bottles, and sprinkles in little ramekins with mini spoons for scooping.

Little details: you can ask guests to bring their own containers to take home their cookies, but it's also nice to pick up some simple cardboard boxes and embellish with a coordinating sticker. I also sent everyone home with a little cookie cutter of their own - another idea would be to add a recipe card so they can make their own.

Also, I always think when there's this much sugar around it's nice to have some salty snacks on hand to balance things out, so I put out some bowls of popcorn and crackers in the kitchen. Plus some seasonal beers and wines!

And I'll say it again; from now on, the only kinds of parties I host are sweets-themed ones. People can't help but have a good time when they get to eat baked goodies - and drink some beer/wine - right? (cf. cupcake pairing party and cutie pie birthday party.) Thanks to Sarah, Katie, Lauren, Liz, and Katie for making it a fun afternoon!

Sources/materials:
Invites: Tiny Prints
Cookie cutter favors: Target
Favor stickers: customized address labels from Tiny Prints
Ramekins: Sur la Table
Ceramic spoons: Sur la Table
Striped paper plates: Target
Icing bottles: Wilton mini squeeze bottles via Michaels
Table cover: wrapping paper from Container Store
Take-home boxes: Container Store
Stickers: customized gift tags from Tiny Prints
Napkins: Tiny Prints
Acrylic wine glasses: Crate & Barrel
Latte mixing bowls: Anthropologie
Tray: Ikea

Sharing on Jenna's Coffee Date linkup and Fresh Mommy's Dream Create Inspire linkup.