Tips & Ideas for a Festive Cookie Exchange
- Set the mood and play holiday music in the background.
- Serve some refreshments; but keep it simple, make something that can be pre-made the night before and easily reheated for the party.
- Plan to serve a holiday beverage, like or warm apple cider, along with standard beverages: coffee, tea, juice, and even milk.
- Supply extra plastic bags or containers for guests to transport their cookies home. There are sure to be some who forget to bring their own.
- Have several festive and pretty platters ready for your guests to set out their delectable cookie concoctions.
- Include an extra tray to collect cookies to be enjoyed during the party.
- Turn your cookie exchange into a cookie gifting party. Set out gift tags, decorative treat bags, and lots of pretty ribbons. This will give your guests the chance to assemble gift bags for co-workers, neighbors, teachers and anyone they would love to give a delicious treat to.
- Ask your guests to send their cookie recipes to you ahead of time. You can print them out on pretty sheets of paper and assemble homemade cookie recipe books - what a wonderful party favor!
- A cookie exchange can be planned for any time of the day, but mornings are a great option. Plan your party as a delicious breakfast event, and allow your guests to have the remainder of the day to do other holiday activities.
- Create a little light-hearted competition. Make up some fun categories (The Cookie Santa Can't Refuse, Most Decorative Cookie, etc.), supply a couple of prizes, and then let your guests vote for the winners.
- Have each guest share their favorite cookie baking stories or create some fun questions, ahead of time, for each guest to answer at the party.