Gingerbread House Essentials

BY Micaela December 15, 2021

If you are looking for a way to get into the holiday spirit, why not build and decorate a gingerbread house? Gingerbread house making is a fantastic indoor activity for kids and adults alike and the perfect excuse to stay inside your cozy home with your loved ones. Creating the ideal gingerbread home isn’t always easy because of potential pitfalls such as the walls crashing down or candies sliding down in the middle of the night; however, the memories you create with your gingerbread construction crew will be totally worth it! These five simple steps will help you achieve the perfect gingerbread house to show off to your friends and family!

Prepare the patterns:

The most essential piece of advice we can give you is to build a solid and sturdy base. It would help double-check that the foundation and the walls will hold up the roof. Don’t worry; there are printable cutouts online that help you achieve just that. All you need to do is print and cut out the patterns. 

Make the Dough:

Gingerbread dough is used for house-building for two reasons; it’s not only delicious but also sturdy. You want to stay away from any dough that may be too soft or crumbly; this would result in a gingerbread house failure. Research gingerbread dough recipes online, read the reviews, look at the photos, and choose a gingerbread recipe with over 4.5 stars. 

Cut out Shapes:

After removing your gingerbread from the oven, immediately place your cut patterns on your dough. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, trace and cut out each shape one by one. Don’t worry if your dough is still a bit soft; it will harden as it cool to room temperature. Once you have cut out your desired shapes for your gingerbread house, place them on a wire rack to continue to cool and harden.

Mix the Frosting:

The next step is to make the perfect icing. You want to follow a royal icing recipe rather than a pretty and tasty frosting like buttercream or a canned frosting from the baking aisle in the grocery store. Royal icing is made from confectioners sugar, egg whites, and flavoring. Royal icing hardens as it dries and acts as a glue that will hold the gingerbread house pieces together. Look up royal icing recipes online, read the reviews, look at the photos, and again, choose a recipe with more than 4.5 stars.

Assemble the Structure:

To assemble your gingerbread house, pipe your royal icing along the base and the edges of the front wall and one sidewall. Position your pieces at a 90-degree angle and prop them up with something they can lean on, like a can or a jar. Repeat the process with the back wall and the other sidewall. Let the royal icing dry for up to 30 minutes or dry to the touch. Dry to the touch means no fingerprints will easily show up in your Snaps or TikToks.

Decorate:

Finally, the best part! Once your house is assembled, it’s time to add your personal touches and let your creative juices flow! This is where you and your loved ones showcase their talents.  Whether you decide to keep it simple by using the remaining icing, candy canes, gumdrops, or even some leftover Halloween candy, the way you decorate is entirely up to you!