Host a successful swap with these easy Christmas cookie exchange ideas

Ah, the annual Christmas cookie exchange! It’s a great time to catch up with old friends while nibbling on a delectable assortment of sweets. But with all you already have on your to-do list, the thought of planning a Christmas party may totally max out your stress level. Relax—there are lots of simple ways to make your gathering a success.
Inspired? Create and share by tagging @hallmarkstores.
Host your party early before the holiday rush. It will be less stressful for you, and it will give you and your guests plenty of treats for the upcoming office party, school function or unexpected company.
Give your Christmas cookie swap a theme. Ask your guests to bring only chocolate cookies, butter cookies, bar cookies or any other category of cookies you choose.
Label your guests’ creations. Before you begin sampling the assortment of cookies, have each guest label her offering so everyone knows who brought what. You can use plain labels or seasonal gift tags.
Make it simple but add variety. Adding nuts, jam, chocolate or coconut can turn a simple shortbread recipe into a wide variety of cookies. Consider providing a basic shortbread recipe to your guests beforehand and ask them to invent their own variations for your swap.
Take plenty of pictures of the event. Make sure you take at least one of each baker with her offering as well as snapshots that capture the fun.
Have your guests share the stories behind their recipes. Is it an old family Christmas tradition? Do they make it only during the holidays? Exchanging recipes along with their history is bound to be a great conversation starter.
Take and bake. Plastic presentation folders are an easy way for your guests to keep their exchanged recipes organized. Just slip them into the folder, slide on the binding, and everyone will have a booklet to take home.
Present awards for Most Decadent, Most Likely to be Kept for Oneself, Nuttiest or Chocolatiest!
Personalized containers for your guests to bring their cookies home in are a thoughtful touch. Cookie tins, small canvas bags, plastic buckets or plastic takeout containers work well. Line them with tissue paper and add a bow to the handles for a festive touch.
Finally, don’t forget the most important and fun part, sharing and eating!
Shop Christmas
See allYou may also like
See more-
Birthday What to write in a birthday card
Some people have no problem coming up with what to write in a birthday card. Just hand them a pen and they’ll effortl...
-
Father's Day The history of Father's Day and how Hallmark cards for dads have evolved
We all know Father’s Day is the holiday that falls about a month after Mother’s Day. Mostly because that’s when famil...
-
Father's Day Free printable Father's Day coloring pages for Dad's #1 fans
Dads take so much pride in their kids’ talents. And if you know a dad who’s been claiming his son or daughter was the...
-
Summer Free printable summer coloring pages to help you beat the heat
In summer, when it’s impossibly hot outside and all you wanna do is stay inside, it can be hard to find things to do....
-
Mother's Day Free, printable Mother's Day coloring pages to make Mom's heart melt
Moms treasure their kids’ art like no one else. So what better way to brighten up Mom’s special day than by gifting h...
-
Mother's Day The history of Mother’s Day: Fraught beginnings and fun facts
Ah, Mother’s Day. The one day a year we spoil the women who spoil us the other 364. I think we all can agree Mother’s...
-
Mother's Day Mother's Day without Mom: Remembering lost loved ones with new traditions
This Mother’s Day will be my third without my mom. She died just before Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2020, which mad...
-
Drinks Sparkling green tea soda
Green tea has been much applauded for its health-giving properties, but it also makes a great base for a sparkling su...
-
Spring History of Administrative Professionals Day
Three people led the effort to create Administrative Professionals Day/Week: Mary Barrett, a past president of the...
-
Easter Easter Eggs-travaganza: Our favorite Easter egg ideas
When it comes to Easter, we think both adults AND kids deserve to have some fun and make fabulous, way-too-pretty-to-...
-
St. Patrick's Day Free Printable St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages for Your Little Leprechauns
If you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, then you know it’s all about sharing love, luck and fun. And what could be more f...
-
Easter Free printable Easter coloring pages to brighten up your celebration
One of the best things about Easter—in addition to faith, family and food—is all the colors. So we figured we’d throw...
-
Spring History of Teacher Appreciation Week
People in the United States started celebrating National Teacher Day in 1953 when Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded Cong...
-
Spring History of Nurses Day
In 1953, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare proposed that President Dwight D. E...
-
Congratulations Rewards for Kids: 10 Parents Share Their Tips for Celebrating Achievements
One of the most important tools parents have to shape their kids’ behavior is the power of positive feedback. But as ...
-
Congratulations How to Give a Toast from the Heart
At some point in your life, you’ll need to give a toast. You might get advance notice as a Maid of Honor or host o...
-
Congratulations How to Say Congratulations (Even When You'd Really Rather Not)
Congratulating others is easy and fun, right? Like when your friend worked really hard and got that awesome job ma...
-
New Year's Guilt-Free New Year's Resolutions
“New Year’s resolutions.” To some, those words are filled with pure possibility...an invitation to start anew, comple...
-
New Year's New Year's Resolution Ideas for Groups
New Year’s resolutions are pretty lonely deals. It’s just you and that thing you have to live up to. Ack! No wonde...
-
Christmas A Christmas tribute: meaningful ways to weave memories of lost loved ones into new holiday traditions
For many of us, Christmas is the time of year when we miss our lost loved ones the most. Finding ways to memoriali...