How to Host a "Cookie Decorating" Valentine's Day Party

Host the sweetest Valentine's Day party for kids with a sugar cookie decorating activity.

As my girls get older, we've started to transition away from hosting the annual birthday party and towards occasional holiday gatherings with their friends instead. The most popular of these new festive parties is a sugar cookie decorating party.

This Valentine's Day is the perfect time to have a few friends over to decorate fancy sugar cookies together. Here are all the supplies and tips you need to host the sweetest party ever.

How to Host a "Cookie Decorating" Valentine's Day Party

Here are a few simple tips and Valentine party ideas for pulling together an easy party for your kids!

1. Invite Valentine's Day Party Guests.

Welcome your guest to your home with a colorful party invitation. Make something handmade with the kids if you like. An impromptu text is a'ok if you're pinched for time, too!

2. Pre-bake the Valentine Cookies.

This is the smartest tip on the list! Be sure to bake your sugar cookies the day before the party, estimating about three to six cookies per guest. They'll likely munch on a few during the decorating process and you'll want to send them home with a couple, too!

This is our absolute favorite cutout cookie recipe because it stays fresh tasting for days and is the perfect make-ahead recipe.

We opted for all hearts, but there are a lot of cute Wilton cookie options. We especially love this Wilton Nesting Heart Cutter Set.

Psssst. You can also make the cookies from store-bought dough if you're schedule is too hectic.

3. Set the scene with Valentine decorations.

It only takes a few minutes to set the stage for an adorable party for the kids. I love this Paris Party Set from Caravan Shop. Be sure to pop over and check out their large format prints, too. You download your image file and then head over to Staples or Office Depot for cheap printing (learn more). It is pretty awesome for easy entertaining in a pinch.

Paris Party Set via Caravan Shoppe

If you'd like to go all out with your party, consider some of the adorable party decor packages over at Minted. Here's some party inspiration from Kelli Hall using a variety of their colorful products.

Here are some of the items from the cookie decorating party pics above:

• Table linens
• Pendant lampshades
• Heart-patterned fabric (used on upholstered chair)  *Isn't that just gorgeous?
• Curtains

And here are the cookie-decorating supplies that were used above:

• Bottle stickers
• Paint palette trays (for sprinkles)
• Cookie recipe booklets
• Glassine bags
• Rectangle stickers (used on glassine bags)
• Closure stickers

Here are a few of my other favorite party decor packages from over at Minted.

How cute are these?

1. Conversation Heart Valentine by Sarah Curry
2. Valentine's Ombre Love by Becca Thongkham
3. XOXO by Mandy Rider
4. Sweet Cupcakes by Bob Daly
5. Elegant Joy by guess what?
6. Rose Colored Glass by kelli hall
7. Fiesta! by Hooray Creative
8. Snow Dot by kelli hall

Or keep your Valentine Day Party simple and consider using brown packaging paper as a disposable tablecloth. I love these examples where they've used Sharpies to create labels, placemat spaces, and instructions!

Ideas via Baker's Royal | Simply Sweet | Attend

4. Set up the Valentine cookies and decoration supplies.

You're going to need sprinkles, lots and lots of sprinkles! I'd highly recommend Wilton Sweetheart 6-Cell Valentine Sprinkles Mix and their Jumbo Heart Sprinkles. You can find these online on Amazon or Michaels and JoAnn's both have great Wilton sections too!

How you move forward at this point depends on the age of your guests!

KEEP IT SIMPLE FOR YOUNGER GUESTS

Now, at the party above they had little ones decorating, so they used labeled condiment bottles for their cookie decorating party.

If you are going to take that route, this is the royal-icing recipe they recommend for easy flow. You simply add flavors and colors to the icing to your liking, then pour the icing into squeeze bottles and label each with a flavor sticker. Then the children add sprinkles or other cookie embellishments using their sprinkles paint palette trays.

HAVE FUN WITH OLDER GUESTS

If your guests are older, have fun experimenting more! The girls and I love watching TV programs like The British Baking Show, Cupcake Wars, and The Worst Cooks in America together.

Need a few more Valentine party ideas for the finishing touch?:

• Set up an easy and totally adorable Valentine Party Photo Booth
• Make quick felt Valentine garland to hand from the doorway
• Serve a Valentine snack mix for the guests to munch on while they decorate cookies