Santa Hat Buttercream Board
This Santa Hat Buttercream Board is a festive, no-bake holiday treat that invites kids into the kitchen through creativity and hands-on decorating. With piping, arranging, and design choices, this recipe builds real kitchen confidence while creating a holiday centerpiece that’s just as fun to make as it is to share.
Skill Level
Ages 6+ with guidance for piping and setup
Time
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Supervision
Kids can help with mixing frosting, piping rosettes, and arranging treats. Grown-ups should assist with piping bag setup and help younger kids maintain steady pressure while piping.
Why You’ll Love Making This
• A festive, no-bake holiday activity
• Builds early piping and hand-strength skills
• Encourages creativity, planning, and design thinking
• Quick enough for parties, classrooms, or weeknight fun
• Doubles as dessert and table décor
What You’ll Need
Equipment
• Large serving board
• 2 piping bags
• 2 piping tips (1M style)
Ingredients
• 1 can store-bought red frosting
• 1 can store-bought white frosting
• 1 cup mini pretzels
• 1 small pack Biscoff cookies
• 1 small pack strawberry wafer cookies
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 cup regular marshmallows
How to Make a Santa Hat Buttercream Board
Prepare the Frosting
Start by mixing the store-bought frosting to make it smooth and fluffy. If using a handheld mixer, use only one beater. Insert the beater directly into the frosting can and mix for about 45 seconds until the frosting becomes lighter and easier to pipe. Repeat with both the red and white frosting.
Pipe the Santa Hat
Fit each piping bag with a 1M piping tip. Fill one bag with red frosting and the other with white frosting. Decide where you want to place the Santa hat on the board. You can center it or place it slightly off-center depending on the size and shape of the board.
Hold the piping bag slightly above the board. Squeeze with steady pressure while piping a circular motion to form a rosette. Avoid dragging the tip along the board, as this will flatten the design. Continue piping rosettes in rows until the triangular hat shape forms.
Add the Trim and Finish the Board
Pipe a longer row of white rosettes along the bottom edge to create the hat’s trim. Then, squeeze a small amount of frosting at the top of the hat, stop squeezing, and pull straight up to create the pom-pom.
Finish by arranging the pretzels, cookies, wafer cookies, and marshmallows around the board.
Tips for Success
• Whipping the frosting makes piping much easier
• Steady pressure matters more than speed when piping
• If the kitchen is warm, chill the board briefly before serving
• Keep extra treats nearby—snacking is part of the process
Make It Your Own
• Swap in graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or sandwich cookies
• Add strawberries or raspberries for fresh color
• Use green frosting to add simple holly accents
• Create mini Santa hats on individual plates
FAQ from Chefs-In-Training
Why do we mix store-bought frosting?
Mixing adds air, making the frosting softer and easier to pipe.
What if my rosettes don’t look perfect?
That’s okay. This activity is about practicing skills, not perfection.
Can we make this ahead of time?
Yes. You can assemble it a few hours ahead and keep it cool until serving.
This Santa Hat Buttercream Board turns simple ingredients into a joyful holiday kitchen experience. Kids practice real decorating skills, families create something together, and the result is a festive treat that builds confidence one squeeze at a time.
Santa Hat Buttercream Board
Equipment
- Large Board
- (2) Tip 1M
- 2 Piping Bags
Ingredients
- 1 store bought can of red frosting
- 1 store bought can of white frosting
- 1 cup mini pretzels
- 1 small pack biscoff cookies
- 1 small pack strawberry wafer cookies
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 cup standard size marshmallows
Instructions
- First start by mixing your store bought frosting. If you have a hand held mixer, use ONE beater on the mixer, insert into the plastic can and mix, the frosting will become smooth and fluffy after about 45 sec.
- Do this for both the red and white frostings.
- Fit piping bags with the 1M tips
- Add red to one bag, white to the other.
- Decide where you want to place the hat, in the center or off centered.
- (I went off center due to the length of the wafers I was adding to the board).
- To make the rosettes: Lift the piping bag slightly above the board.
- Squeeze with consistent pressure in a circle.
- Do not drag on the board or the rosettes will be flat.
- Make several in a row, the keep creating rows until the hat forms
- Add a longer line of white rosettes at the bottom for the bottom of the hat and then “star tip” the top.
- To make the star, squeeze out a little frosting then stop squeezing and pull off.
- This should make a textured “star tip” cotton ball for the hat
- Next position all of your favorite treats.
