MAKE IT CUTE

Looking for a festive way to spend time with your besties and showcase your creative skills? You might not be able to have your annual gingerbread house party in person this year, but that doesn't mean you can't still have fun with this nostalgic holiday tradition. This season, host a svirtual gingerbread house contest with your BFFs. Round up your besties, power up your Zoom cameras and get to decorating.

Gather supplies and ingredients

Image: instagram.com/sugarandcharm

Before you start your Zoom sesh, make sure all your friends grab their own materials for decorating. If you don't feel like baking your own gingerbread (we totally get it—it's kind of a lengthy process), pick up a kit from your local craft store. While the kit will come with some prepackaged candy, it's always fun to grab some extra ingredients like pretzels, candy canes, marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Look for inspiration

Image: instagram.com/sallysbakeblog

Will you go for a vibrant, multi-colored house or stick to a festive red and green color scheme? Scroll through Pinterest and Instagram to gather design inspiration. Or, just dive right in to decorating and let your creativity lead the way.

Decorate, decorate, decorate

Image: instagram.com/mazale_

Now the fun can begin. Hop on a FaceTime or Zoom call with your BFFs, blast the Christmas tunes and get to decorating. Don't forget to grab some snacks to munch on while you work. To add an extra element of surprise, ask your friends to keep their gingerbread houses hidden from the camera until the very end. Then, you can have a big reveal and showcase your final product.

Judging time

Image: instagram.com/sugarandcharm

Once you've all finished your masterpieces, it's time to decide whose gingerbread house reigns supreme. One person can post a pic of each house on their Insta story and have their followers vote for their fave design. To celebrate the winner, your friends could all chip in a few bucks to buy them a Starbucks gift card—or any small holiday gift they'd like.

If you host your own virtual gingerbread house contest, share your creations with us on Insta @girlslifemag!

by Kathleen O'Neill | 12/20/2020