Ever since my son's first Christmas, we've decorated a gingerbread house together. It's always fun and the results are never as fantastic as what I had in my head, but I love it just the same. Last weekend we hosted our second gingerbread house decorating party. There are some things (like pumpkin carving and gingerbead decorating) that are just so much more fun when you do them with other people. 

The months of November and December are so crazy and filled with shopping and holiday parties that it's hard to find the right time to have people come together. We open our home for a "come and go" gingerbread party and it works out just perfectly. I make a bunch of yummy soups, we have festive drinks, and a table FULL of yummy treats for decorating a gingerbread creation. Guests are invited to bring a pre-made gingerbread house, or choose to build out of a supply of graham crackers and icecream cones. Some of these photos are from both years. The setup was similar, but unfortunately my decoration's bar photos from last weekend did not turn out! 

This year it was cold and rainy, which actually helps make it at least feel more like Christmas than the 80 degrees we're use to, and it made the hot chocolate very popular this year! In addition to the houses, I baked a bunch of gingerbread cookies for decorating and eating. There's nothing quite like trying to eat one of those pre-baked houses, so fresh cookies are a must! 

It's fun to peruse the aisles of the grocery store looking for unique treats for decorating gingerbead houses. Here's a few ideas and some of the things we used!

If you're looking for a fun way to bring family and friends together for the holidays, you might consider a gingerbead decorating party! I've found that many friends with young kids would make these creations anyway, and making them with friends just makes it that much more special! What are your favorite things to decorate a gingerbead house with? I'd love to know! 

Fun holidays and national days to add to your December celebrations!