This year marked our 4th annual Cookie decorating party with my nieces and nephews, so I figured it was about time to share a few tips and tricks with you on How to Host a Cookie Decorating Party with ease. Keep in mind my party is usually for 5-8 kids!
Growing up, my aunt Debbie always had my sister and I over around the holiday’s to decorate Christmas cookies, and it’s one of my very favorite memories. So, a few years ago, I decided to start the same tradition with my nieces and nephews and I love it so much! I have them over for a day of decorating cookies and sipping hot cocoa, and it’s just so fun!
Not to mention, the adults sip on mimosas and eat breakfast tacos while the kids create their masterpieces. Win win situation if you ask me.
Tips and Tricks for hosting a cookie decorating party with ease:
*Figure out how many kids will be there and make sure you have a place for each one to sit. We brought in some chairs from the garage that we didn’t care about so in the case icing drips (which it will), we wouldn’t be upset.
*Pull up the rugs, if there are any, to avoid any staining from icing drips. Again, be prepared for a few spills. Ha!
*I like to make sure I have all party supplies and grocery items 3-4 days in advance so I’m not stressed. That way, all you have to do is make the cookies, icing, and set up for the party!
*Plan to make the cookies 1-2 days in advance. I typically make enough cookies for each kid to decorate 7-8 cookies. I usually always have extras, but that’s okay. Maybe some adults will decorate a few too. 🙂
*Schedule your morning so you have time to make the icing a few hours before the party starts.
*Order breakfast tacos from your favorite local taco shop and pick up morning of. You’ll be busy setting up for the party, so no need to stress yourself out even more! And who doesn’t love breakfast tacos? Ours were devoured in minutes!! Also, you’ll be supporting local which is really important right now!!
Things you’ll Need:
- Paper plates– I like to get festive ones because it makes it more fun!
- Napkins (I also like to put a roll of paper towels on the table for easy clean up if needed)
- Table cloth (This isn’t absolutely necessary, however, this year I grabbed one from the $3 section at target and just tossed it in the trash afterwards. Talk about easy clean up!)
- Plastic Knives for decorating
- Cookie Cutters of choice for the cookies.
- Squeeze bottles for the icing– I’ve found that this is the cleanest and easiest thing for kids to use!
- Funnels to get icing from the bowl to the squeeze bottles.
- Festive Sprinkles– You can typically find these at Target, Michael’s, Home Goods, or Party City. The kids have always loved when I have candy eyeballs too!
- Hot Cocoa supplies for the kids– hot cocoa packets, marshmallows, etc. Since we only had 5 kids this year that were old enough to decorate/enjoy hot cocoa, I didn’t make this ahead of time. You could always make it ahead and keep it warm in your crockpot if you wanted!
- Mimosa supplies for adults– Champagne and orange juice
- This goes without saying– all ingredients for cookies and icing (recipes below!!)
- Large ziplock bags to send the kids home with their masterpieces!
I hope you found this post helpful!! We always have so so so much fun! Honestly, it’s another excuse to get together and the kids absolutely LOVE it. And to be completely honest, the mess wasn’t bad at all! The disposable tablecloth was a game changer this year.
If you end up having a cookie decorating party, I would love to hear about it!! You can tag me on instagram @tippsinthekitch or leave a comment below!! Happy Decorating!!
PrintEasy Cut Out Sugar Cookies For decorating
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 8
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350° F
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In the bowl of your mixer, cream together butter and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
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Beat in extracts and egg.
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In a separate bowl, combine baking powder and salt with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients.
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If the dough looks crumbly keep mixing for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the mixer.
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Do not chill the dough! Divide into 2-3 chunks, roll out onto a floured surface, and cut using whatever shapes you desire. You want these cookies to be around 1/4 inch thick.
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Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack
Notes:
This recipe is from In Katrina’s Kitchen. Check out her site for many more delicious recipes!
Royal Icing
Ingredients
- 2 lbs powdered sugar
- 2 T meringue powder
- 1 c warm water
- food coloring in desired colors (I used red and green)
- Festive sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Place powdered sugar into your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add meringue powder and warm water. Turn the mixer on slowly and gradually increase the speed until a smooth frosting forms.
- Divide into separate bowls and stir in food coloring as desired.
- I like to transfer to plastic squeeze bottles as its easy for the kids to use and keeps table much cleaner! I use these funnels to get the icing into the bottle. *If it’s too thick to transfer, add a little water to thin it out.
Notes:
*This is how much icing I make when doubling the cookie recipe! However, I’ve found that Kids like to use a lot of icing, so it never hurts to have too much! 🙂
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