Delight with a pizza night

Add a little pizzeria pizzazz

Give plates pizza parlor charm with gingham tablecloth–inspired napkin toppers. To do: Pleat a gingham napkin accordion-style. Next, cut a rectangle of red felt to fit around the napkin and hot-glue the ends together. Stack a circle each of green and red fabric and a green felt star, then glue together and glue the stack to the cuff. Add the napkin and a mini pine cone to the plate to finish.

These treats made by cookie artist Jennifer Covington (@CakeWithASideOfCookies on Instagram) are sure to impress! To make: Cut sugar cookie dough into triangles, bake and let cool. Top with red icing, leaving the “crust” plain. Pipe on squiggles of melted marshmallows to form “cheese.” Top with Oreo O’s cereal for “olives “and leaf-shaped sprinkles for “basil.”

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Ser ve up fun by the slice at a make-your-own-pizza par ty, just in time for National Pizza Week (Januar y 9 –15) . With a DIY pizza bar, fun sips and flair, it’s the per fect way to celebrate!

Kick off fun with Kick off fun with a pizza bar a pizza bar

Make guests feel like Make guests feel like gourmet chefs with gourmet chefs with a build-your-owna build-your-ownpizza bar, like this one pizza bar, like this one styled by Sarina Kinnunen styled by Sarina Kinnunen (JoyInTheCommonPlace.com). (JoyInTheCommonPlace.com). To do: Tie red and white balTo do: Tie red and white balloons to a string, then tape to loons to a string, then tape to wall with paper pizza slices and wall with paper pizza slices and a banner. Next, top a table with a banner. Next, top a table with drinks, bowls of pizza toppings and foil drinks, bowls of pizza toppings and foil containers filled with pizza dough.

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Get creative with classic and clever toppings

The best part of a pizza party is discovering new flavor combinations when personalizing pies! At her party, Kinnunen set out help-yourself ramekins and bowls filled with classic toppings (like cheese, sauce, pepperoni and mushrooms), as well as unexpected selections (like pineapple, tomatoes and Canadian bacon). Some other fun ideas: roasted garlic, bacon, onions, herbs or shredded chicken. For topping IDs, jot topping names on paper triangles and glue to toothpicks, then stake into bowls.

Refresh taste buds with a zesty citrus signature sip

The perfect cocktail to pair with pizza is light, not too sweet and altogether refreshing, like the popular Aperol spritz! To start, pick up Aperol, an Italian liqueur with a mildly bitter citrus flavor that will bring out the savory flavors of pizza. To make each spritz, pour 3 oz. of sparkling white wine, 2 oz. of Aperol and 1 oz. of club soda into an ice-filled glass, then garnish with an orange slice and fresh mint sprig. Tip: Can’t find Aperol? Opt for Campari, a more widely available Italian liqueur with a similar flavor profile to Aperol.

Infuse fresh-picked flair with a fragrant herb bouquet

All it takes to wake up your dining table is a bold and beautifully scented bouquet made from a few handfuls of supermarket herbs and blooms. To create the display, fill a short red polka-dotted vase halfway with water, then add a few handfuls of textural herbs (like parsley) to the vase to form a rounded mound. Next, insert two handfuls of chives in the center of arrangement, fanning out the greens for a natural, wispy look. Add seven white supermarket blooms (like button mums or carnations) to the vase, one at a time, spacing evenly. To finish, set the vase on a wicker tray or charger. Tip: No red polka-dotted vase on hand? Give any old vase a coat of red craft paint, let dry, then use a white paint marker to add dots.

3 tips for a fun evening

1Bake the perfect pizza Oven space is at a premium when it comes to baking up everyone’s pizza. The pre-party trick that allows you to fit multiple in your oven at once: Flatten pizza dough into 6" circles (which can fit two to a standard cookie sheet), then add the circles to foil takeout containers. Tip: Pop cookie sheets in the oven while it’s preheating, then add customized pies in their foil containers to the hot sheet and bake. The result? Crispy, takeout-worthy pan pizzas.

2Play ‘W heel of Pizza’ Get them giggling with a game that selects a special slice for everyone! Just assign each guest a number on a numbered spinner wheel (grab one from an old board game or try the Hand2Mind Four Color Spinner Wheel, $10, Amazon.com). Once pizzas are ready, have each guest place a slice on a plate at the center of table. Then everyone takes turns spinning the wheel to see what number they land on and whose slice they get to try!

3Make use of lef tovers Though extra slices are delicious as is the next day, you can also cut them up into cubes and sauté in vegetable oil for croutons that pack a flavorful punch in soup and salad. Got extra dough? Roll it flat, sprinkle with sugar, top with sliced apples, brush with melted butter and bake at 400°F until golden brown for a tasty apple tart.