Invite a spirited crew to celebrate the season with some sweet construction projects.Set the scene
Spice up the room by stringing the light fixture with candy canes and paper gingerbread dudes (trace cookie cutters onto brown bags, then cut out the men and decorate them with puffy paint). A length of bright holiday wrapping paper is the perfect use-and-toss table covering.
Build the houses
To create a house for each guest or group, set aside time the day before the party and recruit your little kitchen elves as helpers. Make quick work of shaping the dough with cookie cutters. Keep the size modest -- ours are about 7 inches wide and 9 inches tall. Assemble the houses on cardboard cake circles (sold at craft and baking supply stores) and let them dry overnight for extra sturdiness.
Let guests add the trimmings
Ask partygoers to bring candy so you'll have lots of variety: we used starlight mints, gumdrops, M&Ms, jelly beans, and other goodies. For assembling the houses and attaching candies, use royal icing (find our recipe here). Spoon it into small ziplock bags, then snip off a corner of each to make a 1/4-inch opening. Give a bag to each guest and have extras on hand.
Offer a chocolate bar
Prepare plenty of hot cocoa from your favorite recipe or mix, and keep it toasty in a thermos jug. Set out dishes of mini marshmallows, white chocolate chips, and crushed peppermints so your guests can customize their drinks to their own sweet specifications.
--Julie Christensen
Snack on a tasty tree
O, Tannenbaum! Arrange cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, and parsley sprigs in an evergreen design for fun (and candy-free!) munching.
Take it further
Provide guests with ribbons and cellophane wrap to cover their houses for easy transport (and to deter nibbling by mice or other candy-loving critters).
