We’ll be honest, when the holidays roll around there’s only one thing on our minds: Christmas cookies. From chocolatey treats to ones filled with nuts and spice (and everything nice!) we just can’t get enough. We spend the weeks leading up to Christmas baking batches of easy-to-make cookies for family movie nights, decorating gingerbread people and filling tins with sugar cookies to ship to family and friends. But, when it comes time to make our cookie plate for entertaining (or for Santa on Christmas Eve) we’re always looking for new decorating ideas, like the ones in this roundup. You’ll find everything from simple solutions using store-bought ingredients to fancier techniques like the ones used in professional bake shops here—starting with a foolproof idea that anyone can pull off: embellishing simple slice-and-bake cookies. We know, we know. Some slice-and-bake cookies can be a real pain to assemble. (And don’t even get us started on how the design gets squished if the dough hasn’t chilled enough before slicing!) But, with only a simple stripe of black running down the middle, these ones are a breeze to make. Most of the decorating work happens after the cookies have been baked and cooled—and you’ll be happy to know that the piping is nothing more than a few simple dots and lines. What could be easier?

Each of these sugar cookies depicts a miniature holiday scene: a bed of freshly fallen snow with a perfect Christmas tree in the middle. The best part of these impressive treats? They come together quickly and easily with store-bought candy, icing and cookies. All you need to do is let your inner artist shine.

Candy melting wafers can be easier to work with than chocolate. You don’t have to worry about tempering and the melted wafers set up again quickly, even without refrigeration. Plus, they melt down to a very smooth consistency, which makes them perfect for projects just like this one. Simply spoon onto your cookie and, with the help of a few other baking staples, you’ll have a melting snowman in no time!

These minty, pink-striped meringues are easy to make and use a clever decorating trick: Paint lines of food coloring gel up the sides of a pastry bag before filling it with meringue, and each cookie comes out striped as you pipe it. You can use this same trick with frosting for cupcakes.