Some Beckley area organizations have planned events to get people in the holiday spirit.

On Friday, Dec. 5, the Women’s Business & Training Center in the Workforce One building in Beckley will host a hands-on workshop for creating uniquely personal holiday letters.

“We are expanding our topics to include things that some people might consider more of a hobby, but shorter workshops like this one are designed to be fun as well as practical,” said Sheila Blake, BizSolutions manager. “Although we will be making a holiday letter, the techniques we use can be applied on the job.”

Participants will use Microsoft Word and learn how to create and align the letter and how to place an image or clip art onto that letter.

“We will learn how to search online for free photographs or find photos we have stored and uploaded from a digital camera. Participants will need to know a little bit about a mouse and keyboard before they come to this workshop, but someone who has learned to use the Internet or do e-mail should be able to learn how to do these holiday letters,” Blake said.

“A Christmas letter is a great way to catch family members and friends up on what’s been happening with all the family members,” Blake said. “E-mails are great ways to keep in touch, but it’s nice to be able to put together a pretty holiday letter to send to loved ones.”

BizSolutions recently held a Christmas card workshop and a one-stroke painting class as part of an effort to help members of the community learn to use technology in more enjoyable ways.

“Community participation and interest will be the driving force in making tht happen,” Blake said.

The cost of the holiday letter workshop is $29 per person, which covers the price of 10 sheets of holiday paper and envelopes that participants can take home. This class will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

To register call 253-3145 or 800-766-4556, or register online at www.westvirginiawbc.org.

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On Saturday, Dec. 6, Mountain State University will host a Christmas community event at Crossroads Mall. The event will include a host of activities including cookie decorating, a gingerbread house competition and gift wrapping.

“This is the kind of thing I’ve been wanting to do for several years to bring the fun back into the holiday season,” said chef Leonard Bailey, director of The Institute of Culinary Arts at MSU. “We get so caught up in buying presents and paying bills, we forget to get together as a community and do things together that are fun.”

A gingerbread house display and competition from 10 a.m. to noon in the former K&W; Cafeteria location will also help benefit the Chef and Child program sponsored by the American Culinary Federation.

“Chef and Child is an organization in which we are trying to combat childhood obesity and teach families how to enjoy flavorful, economic meals that are healthy,” Bailey said.

Adult participants pay a $10 fee to enter their completed gingerbread house. Children can enter with the donation of five canned food items. Proceeds will go to the Chef and Child fund.

When it comes to preparing those delectable gingerbread house creations, Bailey offered a few tips to help contestants get the best results:

- You need a different kind of dough than what you would use to make gingerbread cookies. It has to be very rigid, and you have to let it dry fully. A gingerbread house dough recipe is provided on this page.

- Pick out candies you will use as decorations. Do some planning before you decorate so it will not look as though you just threw things together.

- Make sure you have proper roof support inside the house. You can make an extra side panel and place it in the middle inside to make the roof more stable.

- Decorating the side walls before you put them into place is easier.

- Don’t try to transport your finished product until you have given it 24-48 hours to dry and cure.

- The National Institute for Culinary Arts at MSU will host “Cookies with Santa” in which children decorate cookies made by the culinary students. They also will sponsor a gingerbread house competition.

Entry forms for this event can be picked up at the Crossroads Mall customer service desk, The National Institute for Culinary Arts at MSU located at 410 Neville St. in Beckley. For complete rules or to register online, visit: http://www.mountainstate.edu/majors/whystudy/culinaryarts/4539gb.htm. The deadline for registration is Nov. 28.

— E-mail: bdavis@register-herald.com