Start by washing all your fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Slice the strawberries in half and cut the cucumbers into rounds or fun shapes using a small cookie cutter. If your cheese is in a block, cut it into uniform cubes that are easy for small hands to grab. Pat the grapes dry so they do not make the crackers soggy later on.
Choose one or two small decorative bowls to hold your yogurt or dips. Place these on the board first, as they act as anchors for the rest of your arrangement. You can place one near the top and one near the bottom to create balance. Fill one with the alcohol free vanilla yogurt and top it with a few chocolate chips for a festive look.
Arrange the turkey pepperoni and cheddar cheese cubes in sweeping curves or lines across the board. You can even try to arrange the green items, like cucumbers and kiwi, in a triangle shape to mimic a Christmas tree. Use the mozzarella pearls to create a snowy border around the edges of the board.
Nestle the star shaped crackers and pretzel sticks into the remaining open spaces. These crunchy elements provide a nice texture contrast to the soft cheese and juicy fruit. Make sure to group them near the dips so it is obvious they are meant for dunking.
Scatter the remaining strawberries, grapes, and chocolate chips in any small holes that are left. This ensures the board looks lush and abundant. For an extra festive touch, you can place a single star shaped cracker at the top of your cucumber Christmas tree shape.
