One of our library's most popular events of the year (and the reason I was delayed in posting) is our annual Gingerbread House Decorating Program. Every year I create 75 cardboard houses along with royal icing for families to decorate. I use a template and cut the house shapes from recycled cardboard. I glue them to a white paper covered base and let them dry overnight. Next I spray the houses with spray adhesive and sprinkle them with cinnamon. Then I make 8 batches of royal icing for each of the three sessions I present and divide it into ziploc freezer bags which I secure with a rubber band at the top. I snip the tip of the bag when it's time to decorate. 24 families attend each of the three sessions and are required to bring 2 bags of candy or similar items to share. We spread all the candy on a table at the center of the room and play Christmas music while families decorate their houses together. We always have a lengthy waiting list for this free program.

Laura makes so many families happy with this program! If people forget to call early enough to get in, they are MOST disappointed. It's quite a family tradition for many of our families. What a big project for prep time - but great results too!