Send out an adorable inviteAsk each person to bake 3 dozen of their favorite homemade cookie recipe for the party and have them e-mail their recipe to you a few weeks in advance. Need help picking out the perfect invite? We now stock a Cookie Swap invitation that's perfect for the occasion. Or check out the Holiday Cards in our Personalized Expressions collection.
Make sure to send out your invites well in advance. We all know how hectic the holidays can be so allowing ample time to add your event to your guests calendar will insure a full house. I know my holiday calendar starts to get full by the time Halloween arrives.
Get creative!
Create a keepsake book containing all the recipes they will be sampling at the party. The book will make for a great party favor. Print the recipes on colored cardstock four to a page. Punch a hole on the top right hand corner of the papers and thread a festive ribbon or ring to keep the pages together.
You can also make cute boxes for each guest to put their cookies in. Buy a few pastry boxes from your local craft store and decorate them to match the invitations and party decor. We've even seen cookie swap kits at our local craft stores that make the job much easier! Or buy small favor bags and have us print up some cute bag toppers from our Envelopments collection.
Let the party begin!
Start the party right by getting in a festive mood. Add some holiday music to your iTunes selection, decorate with a fun holiday theme and prepare a nice area for your guests to set their cookies out. You can try to DIY your own tiered tray or just simply set out platters to serve the cookies on. Serve an assortment of coffees teas and don't forget the milk (a perfect pairing for any cookie)!Label the food and drinks with cute tent cards that play along with your holiday theme. Since you already know the types of cookies your guests are bringing you can have these printed in advance. A nice touch would also be to include the name of the guest preparing the cookie as well. For example, if your friend Lydia made Peanut Butter Blossoms (one of my favorite) you could simply write "Lydia's Peanut Butter Blossoms" or you can write the name of the cookie in a larger font and the name of the baker in a smaller font underneath.
Have guests take a few of each type of cookie to place in their box or bag as well as the recipe book before they leave. Have some ribbon or string handy with favor tags to wrap up their boxes and bags for the perfect polished look. Or have cute bag toppers handy with a stapler so that guests can package and seal their cookies for later.
Do you have any other ideas to make a cookie swap perfect? We'd love to hear them!
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