Use ribbon to attach homemade invitations to gingerbread house shaped cookies, or gingerbread men cookies, and send them off as invitations. Make a candy cane vase centerpiece and fill it up with evergreens. Fill glass jars with candycanes and festive coloured candy and place them around the room as decorations.  And if you’re feeling adventerous, maybe you’d like to attempt a gingerbread tree centerpiece.

Be sure to prepare the gingerbread houses beforehand so that the party can be just about decorating. Here’s a recipe for making gingerbread houses, but you can also check the supermarket for pre-made houses, or order gingerbread house kits online. Stock up on candy for decorating, or ask guests to bring their own. You’ll need lots of icing to use a ‘cement’ for decorating. You can use store bought icing tubes, or make your own icing and place into small plastic bags for each guest. Refrigerate overnight. Ensure that there’s lost of workspace, and cover your tables with a plastic tablecloth and the floor with a plastic drop cloth. Use pieces of cardboard / foil / or clearwrap for each guest to work on. Have small bowls ready to fill with decorating candy, some cellophane wrap, and ribbon so guests can wrap up their creations to take home.

{Images: gingerbread house 1, gingerbread house 2, gingerbread house 3, gingerbread house 4, candycane vase centerpiece, invitations, gingerbread tree, gingerbread house and candy centerpiece, girl decorating gingerbread house, candy decorations, buliding gingerbread house, final gingerbread house.}