Gingerbread Decorating Party: Supplies List, Setup and Timeline

By The Party Ideas Hub Editorial Team · Updated 2 November 2026

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A gingerbread decorating party is one of the easiest holiday parties to host, because the activity is the entertainment. Guests arrive, sit down at a table covered in candy and icing, and build. Kids love it, adults get surprisingly competitive, and everyone goes home with something they made.

The trick is preparation. Most of the work happens before anyone rings the doorbell: building or buying the house bases, mixing icing that actually holds, and setting up the table so ten people can reach the sprinkles without elbowing each other. This guide covers the gingerbread decorating party supplies you need, how to set up, a simple timeline, and a few contest ideas to round off the afternoon.

Decide on your format first

Before you shop, decide what each guest will decorate. Everything else (how much icing, how much candy, how much table space) follows from this.

• Pre-built houses. You assemble the houses a day ahead so the walls are set when guests arrive. This is the least stressful format for young children, who can go straight to decorating.
• Build-your-own kits. Each guest or team gets a kit and builds from scratch. This takes longer and works better for older kids, teens and adults who enjoy the engineering part.
• Gingerbread cookies only. Flat gingerbread people, stars and trees are faster, less messy and ideal for toddlers or a short party. It also works as a second station for guests who finish their house early.
• Graham cracker houses. Graham crackers stuck to a small milk carton or a paper cup with icing make a quick, low-cost "house" for big groups, classrooms or very young kids.

For a mixed group, a good combination is one pre-built house per family or team plus a tray of flat cookies for anyone who wants a faster project.

The gingerbread decorating party supplies list

House bases

• Gingerbread house kits, or homemade gingerbread walls and roof panels. Search gingerbread house kits; mini kits are smaller houses that fit more guests at one table.
• Flat gingerbread cookies for the cookie station.
• Graham crackers and small cartons if you're using the quick-house method.
• A sturdy base for each house: cake boards, cardboard squares covered in foil, or inexpensive plates.

Icing

Icing is the glue and the paint, so make more than you think you need.

• Royal icing is the standard "cement" for gingerbread houses because it dries hard. Many home bakers make it with powdered sugar, water and meringue powder rather than raw egg whites. Search meringue powder.
• Piping bags (disposable ones save on cleanup) and a few round tips, or zip-top bags with a corner snipped off for young kids. Search disposable piping bags.
• Bag clips or rubber bands to stop icing squeezing out of the top of the bag.
• Gel food coloring if you want colored icing. Gel colors tint icing without thinning it as much as liquid coloring can.

Keep royal icing covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap while it waits, because it starts to crust once it's exposed to air.

Candy and decorations

This is where guests have the most fun. Aim for variety in shape and color rather than huge amounts of one thing.

• Roof tiles: mini wafer cookies, cereal squares, chocolate buttons, sliced almonds.
• Fences and paths: pretzel sticks, mini candy canes, licorice ropes.
• Trees: upturned ice cream cones piped with green icing, or green gumdrops.
• Snow: shredded coconut, powdered sugar dusted through a small sieve, white nonpareils.
• Lights and trim: small round candies, sprinkles, colored sugar, mini marshmallows.
• Windows and doors: hard candies, gummies, chocolate squares.

A ready-made mix saves time if you'd rather not buy twenty separate bags. Search gingerbread house candy decorations.

Small, hard candies can be a choking risk for young children, so put toddler-safe options (soft cookies, larger marshmallows) in front of the littlest guests and keep an eye on what goes from table to mouth. Also ask guests about food allergies when you invite them: nuts, coconut and some candies are common allergens.

Table and cleanup

• A wipeable tablecloth or a roll of kraft paper taped down.
• Muffin tins, ice cube trays or small bowls to hold candy.
• Aprons for kids (an old T-shirt works too).
• Paper towels, wet wipes and a damp cloth at each end of the table.
• Small boxes, clear bags or plates with plastic wrap so guests can carry their creations home. Search cake boxes with window.
• Name cards or masking tape and a marker to label each base.

How to set up the decorating table

A good setup means guests spend their time decorating rather than waiting.

1. Cover the table completely. Icing and sprinkles travel. Tape the cover underneath so it doesn't slide.
2. Give every guest a "work zone." Put each house on its labeled base, with a piping bag and a paper towel beside it.
3. Split the candy into several identical stations. Instead of one big candy buffet, fill two or three muffin tins with the same mix and place them along the table. Nobody has to reach across, and popular candies don't run out at one end.
4. Keep refills out of reach. Hold back about half of your candy and icing and top up stations halfway through. This stops the first ten minutes from emptying everything.
5. Set up a drying zone. Clear a counter or side table where finished houses can sit undisturbed while guests clean up, grab a drink or move on to the cookie station.

If you're short on table space, a kitchen island, a card table or a few trays on the floor (for small kids) all work.

Gingerbread decorating party timeline

One to two weeks before

• Send invitations and ask about allergies.
• Order kits, piping bags, boxes and any decorations that ship.
• Decide whether you're baking your own gingerbread or buying kits.

Two to three days before

• Bake homemade gingerbread panels if you're making them, and let them cool and firm up.
• Buy candy and sort it into labeled containers.

The day before

• Assemble the houses if you're doing pre-built bases. Give them time to set, ideally overnight, before anyone presses candy into the walls.
• Make royal icing or measure out the dry ingredients so you only need to add water the next day.
• Prepare simple food and drinks that don't need much attention.

Party day

• Before guests arrive: cover the table, set out houses and work zones, fill the candy stations, fill and clip piping bags.
• First 15 minutes: greet guests, hand out aprons, explain the plan and any contest categories.
• Decorating (about 60 to 90 minutes): top up stations halfway through. Put on a holiday playlist.
• Snack break: move to the food table while houses set.
• Judging or show-and-tell: 10 to 15 minutes.
• Pack up: box each house and send guests home with their creations.

Two to three hours in total is plenty for most groups. With young kids, attention fades after about an hour of decorating, so keep the rest of the party simple.

Food and drinks that don't compete with the candy

Guests will be eating candy as they decorate, so keep the food savory and easy to eat with clean hands. A few ideas:

• Mini sandwiches, sliders or a soup station.
• A cheese and cracker board.
• Popcorn in individual cups.
• A hot chocolate station. Our hot cocoa bar items list has everything you need to set one up.

Serve food on a separate table, away from the icing, so nobody ends up with sprinkles in their soup. If you're deciding between disposable and washable plates for a crowd, our guide to paper vs reusable party plates walks through the trade-offs.

Contest categories and prizes

A light-hearted contest gives the party a natural ending. Make sure every house wins something so no one goes home disappointed, especially kids.

• Most creative design
• Most candy used
• Best roof
• Snowiest house
• Best use of an unexpected candy
• Most likely to collapse (adults usually find this one funny)
• Best team effort

Have guests vote by putting a small token or sticker in front of their favorite, or let an adult with no house in the game do the judging. Small prizes such as cookie cutters, mini ornaments or candy canes are enough. For an older crowd, our Christmas party ideas for teens include a team decorating contest. If you're also running games, our Christmas party games for large groups list has more ideas that work after the decorating is done.

Tips for hosting kids and adults together

• Pair little kids with an adult or teen. Toddlers can press candy on while the older partner handles the piping bag.
• Offer two levels of challenge. Pre-built houses for young kids; build-your-own kits for teens and adults who want a project.
• Thicker icing for building, thinner for decorating. If you want a smoother icing for snowy roofs or flooding, set aside a bowl and add water a few drops at a time.
• Expect some collapses. Have extra icing, spare walls and a sense of humor. A fallen house can become a "gingerbread ruin."
• Plan for the mess. Do the party in a room with an easy-to-clean floor and keep a broom nearby.

For a budget-friendly way to fold this activity into a larger holiday get-together, see our Friendsmas party ideas on a budget.

Read next: Hot Cocoa Bar Checklist: Every Item You Need →