This idea gives an incredibly fun holiday spin to an otherwise normal pancake bar! Not only will the kids be thrilled to have pancakes for dinner, but this bar actually encourages them to play with their food! We created this festive flapjack bar for our "Flapjacks and a Flick" Christmas Movie Night and it was an enormous success. Kids visit the bar to choose their favorite toppings, then head to the dining table where they get to use their imaginations to build their own holiday pancakes. This is such a fun way to build unique holiday memories! Follow the steps below to get started.
Let's begin by making the toppings jars. We made a Santa, snowman, reindeer and an elf, but the possibilities are endless! The first jar we made was a Santa-inspired jar. We filled our Pint Jar with Red Sixlets Chocolate Candy. Other red treats you could include are cinnamon candies or Red M&Ms®. Next, cut a 1.5" strip of black cardstock or construction paper and secure it around the center of the jar using double-sided tape. Cut another 1.5"x1" piece from the same paper and set aside.
Cut a 1.5" x 2" rectangle out of Silver Metallic Foil Streamers. Use double-sided tape to adhere it vertically to the center of the black strip on the jar. Take the 1.5" x 1" black rectangle that you cut in the previous step and secure it to the center of the silver foil piece, giving the layers the look of a belt buckle. Cut a length of White Christmas Pom-Pom Trim and secure it around the neck of the jar using hot glue.
Our next jar is an elf jar. We thought green contents would be best suited for this jar, and we liked the Christmas feel of spearmint hard candies. You could also use Green M&Ms®, Green Sixlets or Green Jelly Beans. To decorate this jar, cut a 2" strip of green cardstock or construction paper and secure it around the center of the jar with double-sided tape. Layer a strip of Red Satin Ribbon on top.
Hot glue Christmas Buttons on top of each other, then add them to the center of the ribbon to resemble the elf's uniform buttons. Use hot glue to secure Green Christmas Pom-Pom Trim around the neck of the jar.
For the reindeer jar, filled this jar with chocolate chips because every pancake could use some chocolate chips! We gave our reindeer a cute little face by hot gluing Super Huge Black Googly Eyes and a Red Yarn Pom-Pom to the jar. Create antlers using two brown Chenille Stems by cutting the bottom third off of each stem, bending them into "V" shapes, then twisting them around the long pieces of chenille stem until secure. Apply the antlers to the back of the jar using hot glue.
Last, but not least, we created a snowman jar. We filled this jar with soft, fluffy marshmallows, then attached Christmas Buttons to the front. To represent the snowman's scarf, we tied a length of Red Satin Ribbon around the neck of the jar.
Now that the jars are complete, we need something for the kids to collect their toppings in. We chose Mini Red Favor Pails and added Printable "Toppings" Labels to each one. A Printable Festive Flapjack Bar Sign displayed by the toppings explains how the bar works and ties into the decor perfectly. The sign looks great showcased in a Plastic Table Frame among the treats!
To minimize the number of fingers that get dipped inside each jar, and to make scooping out the toppings easier, we used Mini Wooden Serving Scoops. To give the scoops a bit of festive flair, we wrapped some Red Washi Tape around the handles then finished them off with a White Tinsel Pom-Pom.
Now all that's left to do is display your goodies and let the kids have at it! We hung a printable "Fa la la lapjacks and a Flick" poster behind our bar to serve as a festive backdrop. Christmas Tree Fold-Out Hanging Paper Lanterns added dimension to our display and tied into the artwork on the poster perfectly. We also set out some fresh blueberries, raspberries and an assortment of sprinkles for the kids to choose from. Be sure to see the entire Christmas Movie Party, see how you can make your own Movie Marquee Sign and don't forget to download all of the Christmas Movie Night Printables!