How To Throw a Gingerbread Garland Craft Party on a Budget
A Simple, Sweet Way to Gather
One of my favorite parts of homemaking is learning that hospitality doesn’t have to be expensive, elaborate, or Instagram-perfect. In fact, some of my richest moments in my home have come from the simplest gatherings.
This weekend was the perfect example: a cozy little Gingerbread Garland Craft Party, all for under $20, and almost entirely from things I already had at home. Here’s how you can throw a Gingerbread Garland Craft Party on a Budget!
Use What You Have
I’ve been trying to use what I have before buying more (stewardship usually looks like that!), so when I saw Instagram girlies making gingerbread garland out of cardboard, I knew I could do something like that for cheap! I started saving cardboard from Christmas gifts coming in the mail or my Aldi runs (I usually take an empty box home to hold all my groceries). And in my party invite, I encouraged friends to bring their own unused cardboard, too - so we could put it all to good use!
All I needed from the store were white paint pens (I found eight for $2 each at Hobby Lobby) and a $5 hot glue gun (also a Hobby Lobby score). I already had twine on hand. Suddenly, we had everything required for a full-on cozy craft night!
I told everyone to show up in pajamas, because of course. I put on a classic Christmas music playlist, baked some homemade gingerdoodles (these were AMAZING) and sugar cookies, and made a big pot of hot chocolate to share. It was nothing fancy, but warm and familiar and perfect.
As we crafted, we talked about our favorite Christmas traditions and the cute things our kids did this week. We laughed at our lopsided cardboard houses and cheered for the ones that turned out Pinterest-worthy (ahem, my sister in law - she’s so talented).
When some friends were done with their cardboard villages, they pulled out their own crafts (like needlepoint and almost-finished knitting projects) and kept the craft party going.
It all reminded me that hospitality is far less about presentation and more about presence. If you’re on the fence about inviting people over because your home doesn’t feel “perfect” - do it anyway. I promise people want to be together infinitely more than they want to sit in a picture-perfect home.
“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”
—Proverbs 15:17
If Scripture can remind us that a simple dinner is enough when love is present, then surely a craft night with cardboard scraps can be more than enough too. :)
How to Host Your Own Budget-Friendly Gingerbread Garland Party
Here’s how you can host your own Budget-Friendly Gingerbread Garland Party:
Gather Supplies:
Cardboard (recycling bin treasure! & have your friends bring more of their leftover cardboard!)
Box cutter or scissors
White paint pens (or white paint and brushes, white puff paint, etc.)
Twine or leftover ribbon
Hot glue gun (cheap ones work just fine!)
Prep a Bit Ahead:
Pre-cut a few house shapes so guests have a starting point
I had my husband make some “stencils” for us, since I’m not great at cutting straight
Set up a table with everything in reach
We actually did everything on my living room floor! It was extra cozy to be all around the Christmas tree in our jammies creating something together.
Make a simple snack or let everyone bring something small
I made cookies and hot cocoa, but to make this even more budget-friendly, ask all your friends to bring a small treat to share!
Set the Atmosphere:
Christmas music or instrumental holiday hymns
Pajamas encouraged ;)
Lights low, candles lit, cocoa warm and ready
Enjoy the Process:
Don’t worry about perfect lines or perfect houses
Celebrate everyone’s styles! It’s so fun to see creativity in action.
Talk, laugh, linger :)
Stewardship & Friendship - A Beautiful Night
I love that we gave old cardboard a second life. I love that we didn’t need to spend much to make something charming. I love that my home was filled with friends, creativity, and the kind of slow, quiet joy that feels especially sweet in December. (And even though I didn’t get any photos for this blog post, I love that I left my phone on the mantel all night and enjoyed time with my friends.)
Hospitality doesn’t require perfection or big budgets. It only asks for an open door and a friend or two. The Lord uses even cardboard and hot chocolate to bring His people together.
If you try this craft or host your own simple gathering, I’d love to hear about it! I’m feeling inspired myself to plan more craft parties that are focused on togetherness and using what we have, rather than over-planning and buying.
Happy Stewarding and Merry Christmas!
