A gingerbread house decorating party is one of the few holiday parties that works for every age at once. Toddlers press gumdrops into frosting, teenagers build something ambitious, and the adults compete more than they admit. It is also messy, takes longer than people expect and needs a bit of planning, which is why the invitation matters.
Guests want to know whether they need to bring a kit, whether kids are welcome, what to wear and how they will get a sticky, fragile house home. This guide covers what to put on a gingerbread house party invitation, wording for families, adults and classrooms, and video invitation designs you can send in one link. To build one in a few minutes, try the video invitation maker.
What to Put on a Gingerbread House Party Invitation
- The plan in one line: “We’re building and decorating gingerbread houses.” Say whether houses are pre-built or built from scratch.
- Who supplies what: kits and candy provided, or each family brings a kit and a bag of candy to share.
- Ages: kids welcome, adults only, or a family party with one house per family.
- Date, time and address, with an end time. Decorating usually takes 60 to 90 minutes, plus snacks.
- What to wear: “clothes you don’t mind getting icing on.”
- Take-home plan: “We’ll send every house home on a board,” or ask guests to bring a box or a tray.
- Allergies: ask about them, since candy and icing often contain nuts, gluten or dairy.
- RSVP deadline, so you know how many kits to buy.
Choose the Format First
Kits for everyone
The easiest version: you buy one kit per guest or per family, assemble the walls the day before so the icing sets, and put out extra candy. The invitation only needs to say “everything provided.”
Bring your own kit
Cheaper for big groups. Ask each family to bring a kit and one bag of candy to add to the shared table. Give a size so the houses look roughly even: “a standard kit, about 6 inches tall.”
From scratch
For confident bakers. You bake the panels, guests assemble and decorate. Say on the invitation that it is a longer party, because the walls need time to set before the roof goes on.
Decorating contest
Adults love a contest. Name a few categories, such as most festive, most creative and most likely to collapse, and say on the invitation that there will be prizes or a vote.
Gingerbread House Decorating Party Invitation Wording
For families with kids
Let’s build gingerbread houses!
Saturday, December 12 · 2 to 4 pm · The Parker house, 18 Elm Street
Houses, icing and candy provided. Kids of all ages welcome; grown-ups help with the roof.
Wear clothes that can handle frosting. Every house goes home on its own board.
Please RSVP by December 6 and let us know about any allergies.
Frosting, gumdrops and a little holiday chaos.
Join us for a gingerbread house decorating party for Lily, Max and their friends.
Sunday, December 13, 10 am to noon. Hot cocoa and snacks for everyone.
Reply with how many kids are coming so we have enough houses.
For adults
Gingerbread & Wine Night
Bring your competitive spirit. I’ll bring the houses, the candy and the wine.
Friday, December 11, 7:30 pm · Prizes for best house and best collapse.
RSVP by Monday so I know how many kits to buy.
Adults-only gingerbread build-off.
Teams of two, one house per team, judged at 9 pm sharp.
Mulled wine, cheese and very questionable architecture.
Saturday, December 19 at Sam and Theo’s. Tell us if you’re bringing a partner.
Bring-your-own-kit wording
Gingerbread house party! Please bring one standard kit per family and a bag of candy to share.
We’ll have extra icing, sprinkles, boards and cocoa.
Sunday, December 6, 3 to 5 pm. RSVP by November 30.
For a classroom or club
Room 12 Gingerbread Morning
Thursday, December 17 · 9:30 to 11 am
We’ll decorate pre-built houses in small groups. All decorations are nut-free.
Parents are welcome to help: please reply if you can stay. Houses go home that afternoon.
For more ideas for a school party, see our class holiday party invitations guide.
Short text versions
- “Gingerbread house party at ours, Sat Dec 12, 2 pm! Kits + candy provided, kids welcome. RSVP by the 6th 🏠”
- “Gingerbread + wine night, Fri 7:30. Prizes for best house. Who’s in?”
- “Bring a kit and a bag of candy, we’ll handle the icing and cocoa. Sun Dec 6, 3 to 5.”
Funny lines
- “Structural engineers welcome. Structural failures expected.”
- “Come build a house you can eat. Mortgage-free.”
- “The roof will fall in. The fun won’t.”
- “Gumdrops, frosting and zero building permits.”
Setup Tips Guests Should Know About
- Pre-build the walls. If you are using kits, assemble the walls and roof a day ahead with royal icing so guests start decorating right away. Mention it so nobody brings their own glue gun.
- One board per house. A square of cardboard covered in foil makes carrying the house home possible.
- Icing in bags. Fill piping bags or zip bags ahead of time, one per guest or per family.
- A candy bar. Bowls of gumdrops, candy canes, mini marshmallows, pretzels and sprinkles. Ask guests to bring one bag each if you want to share the cost.
- Cleanup. A plastic tablecloth and wet wipes save the evening.
- Photos. Line the finished houses up for a group photo before anyone leaves.
Planning a cookie table instead? Our Christmas cookie decorating party invitations guide covers that party, and the cookie exchange invitations guide covers the bake-and-swap version.
Food and Drinks to Mention
Guests will eat candy whether you plan for it or not, so balance the table with something savory. For an afternoon family party, a tray of sandwiches, popcorn and a pot of hot cocoa is plenty; say “light snacks and cocoa” on the invitation so parents know whether to feed the kids first. For an evening adults’ party, a cheese board and mulled wine or a simple cocktail fit the theme. If you are hosting over a mealtime, say so clearly: “Pizza at 5, decorating at 5:30.” And keep drinks on a separate table from the houses, because one spilled cup of cocoa can flood a whole village.
When to Send the Invitations
Send invitations two to three weeks before the party, and three to four weeks if it falls on a mid-December weekend. Set the RSVP deadline about a week out so you can order kits. The day before, send a short reminder: the start time, what to wear and a note to bring a box or tray for the ride home.
Send It as a Video Invitation
With TwistInvite, you create the invitation in the app. Pick a design, replace the sample text with your party details and upload a photo of last year’s houses if you have one. You can import a song or hold to record a short voice message from the kids inviting their friends.
Then send one link by WhatsApp, text or the class group chat. Guests open it in their browser and answer Going, Can’t make it or Maybe, with no app and no account. You can ask for their email and how many people are coming, which tells you exactly how many houses to set out. Open the Christmas designs in TwistInvite, or browse more on our holiday party invitations page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you write on a gingerbread house party invitation?
The plan (decorating pre-built houses or building from scratch), who supplies kits and candy, whether kids are welcome, the date, start and end time, address, what to wear, a take-home note, an allergy question and the RSVP deadline.
How long does a gingerbread house decorating party last?
Plan for two hours: about 60 to 90 minutes of decorating, plus snacks and photos. Building from scratch takes longer because the walls need time to set.
Should guests bring their own gingerbread kit?
Either works. Providing kits is easiest; asking each family to bring one standard kit and a bag of candy keeps costs down for big groups. Say which on the invitation.
How do you get gingerbread houses home safely?
Build each house on its own board, such as foil-covered cardboard, and ask guests to bring a box or tray. Let the icing set for at least an hour before anyone carries it.
Can guests RSVP without downloading an app?
Yes. Guests open the TwistInvite link in their browser and answer Going, Can’t make it or Maybe, without an account. Only the host uses the app to create the invitation.
Create it in the TwistInvite app
Download free on iPhone or Android, then share one link with your guests.