Are you getting ready to make a gingerbread house? This article shares seven different ways to make a gingerbread house. Many of these are kid-friendly, and there are even a couple surprises in this group!
1. Make a Gingerbread House from a Mold
Note: This post contains affiliate links
Find a mold like this. While most of the work is done for you, you can still say it’s 100% homemade! To make this really easy, use gingerbread mix. Click here to see how this all comes together in a gingerbread party (with a long list of ideas for candy toppings).
2. Make a Graham Cracker Gingerbread House on a Milk Carton
This is the recipe my friend made for our toddler play date last year, and it was perfect for little ones. I know my friend had a hard time collecting milk cartons for all the children in our group, but once you gather the milk cartons, they’re easy to assemble. From Martha Stewart.
3. Make a Gingerbread House from Scratch
Mama Smiles shows us how she made her house with a toddler (no small feat!) from scratch!
4. Make a Graham Cracker Gingerbread House
Caked Alaska shows us how to make a beautiful graham cracker gingerbread house (unlike my ramshackle shanty town houses). And this post from Kelley Moore is also lovely.
5. Make a Tiny Gingerbread House Perched on the Rim of a Mug
Oh my goodness! These are most definitely not for making with little kids, but what a show stopper! Couldn’t resist sharing these beauties from Not Martha.
6. Make a Gingerbread House from a Kit
Or, take the easier route with a store-bought kit. A Spoonful of Sugar Designs shares their Ikea kit. Lovely. These kits are easy to find in many stores during the holiday season. In case you want the ease of shopping online, this gingerbread house kit is the #1 Best Seller on Amazon (affiliate).
7. Make a Gingerbread Matzo House
Not exactly gingerbread, but we made these jelly bean matzo houses earlier this year and I couldn’t resist sharing, just to show that with some icing and candy, you can turn just about anything into a house.
More Handmade Holiday Projects
How to make Easy Salt Dough Ornaments and part 2: How to Paint Salt Dough Ornaments
Skip the candy-filled advent calendar and make a DIY Activity Advent Calendar
Make a Snowflake Collage
Make a Frozen Wreath
Winter Craft Collage Invitation
Easy DIY Pom Pom Christmas Bauble Ornaments
I was once crazy enough to build one from scratch. Now I just hot glue graham crackers to build individual simple houses and set the boys loose to decorate. They’re just as happy, and I feel more sane! :0) Thanks for all the great ideas!Â
I totally hear you, Amanda! I think I had to have the “make from scratch” experience just one time, and next time around it’ll most likely be a kit! So funny that you hot glue the graham crackers together. I wouldn’t have thought of that!
it looks amazing, rachelle! and what a wonderful round-up you’ve offered, too! this is something we’ve steered clear of since the whole gluten-free thing in our home, as i’m thinking the GF cookie would crumble. i love the little graham cracker ones your neighbors are working on, too! happy holidays!
Hmmm, it doesn’t sound sound like gingerbread is in the stars for you. I feel so bad for all my GF friends this time of year.
My favorite way is to not make one. 😉 I was never into the idea of baking something we couldn’t then eat, and I have no desire to attempt a GF one. This has NEVER shown up on my kids’ list when I do my yearly check-in of what they want to do during the holiday season, so it’s all good all around that we skip it.
Ha ha! All my GF friends are checking in today! Yeah, I thought about you and Jen when I posted this. Thanks for chiming in, Amy 🙂 Given that it’s so time consuming, you’re probably better off doing other things anyway!
I have never made one! (does a paper one count?) My  sister has made them with her kids (now college aged) and they still request to make them! She must have some secrets that I must ask her. Your house turned out wonderful! Love the Looong list of candies to put on the house…..too funny. I have an old cook book (circa 19650) that explains how to make a house completely out of candy and cookies (not exactly a gingerbread house). Thanks for listing all the ways to create houses….a nice collection to contemplate.Â
I wonder what a cookie and candy house would look like. Mmmm, so decadent!
We have cookie cutters to help shape the houses and we make a gingerbread house village on Christmas Eve with my sister and her family.
Here is a gluten free ginger bread cookie recipe that works well for making houses.
http://jenncuisine.com/2009/12/gingerbread-cookies/
Jenn, you’re so thoughtful to share your GF recipe! I’ll be sure to pass it along.
The jelly bean matzo houses are HILARIOUS and ingenious at the same time!!! Â I love it!
Well, if I can make YOU laugh, then I’m in good shape! Thanks for the kind words 🙂
I love the matzo house! After making from scratch (thanks for featuring that post!) I’ve decided kits are the way to go – at least until the kids are little older!
I’m totally with you, Maryanne. I love our mold, but I’ll have to see how crazy my life is with the kids next year.Â
Ours of course was the Gingerbread Mountain! LOL!
http://michellescharmworld.blogspot.com/2011/12/delightful-december-day-7-gingerbread.htmlÂ
Haha! I’m so glad you shared a link, Michelle. I wrote the post before your’s was up.Â
This is incredible! I was always afraid of the magnitude of the gingerbread house project. Your post makes it seem easy, so I may actually try…
Oh, I’m glad it had that effect, because I too felt overwhelmed by it. But there are easier ways to do it. All my friends swear by kits!
Your blog is so incredible. Thank you for all the inspiration you provide!
We love doing gingerbread houses every year. We always do a few purchased ones (love the ones from Trader Joe’s this year) but the most fun is usually when I make pre-assembled graham cracker right angles and let the kids go crazy with them. While they don’t look like the traditional cottages, I love that the kids can get really creative with their designs:
http://smallhandsbigworld.blogspot.com/2011/12/advent-adventures-gingerbread-house.html
Hi Liz, Thanks so much for the kind feedback. I can’t believe how many house you pre-assembled. The kids all look like they had a great time…thanks for sharing the link!
My nanny makes the graham cracker houses with our kids each year, and instead of using a milk carton as the internal support structure, she uses those little cartons of goldfish crackers, which are SO easy to find (at Target, at least). Â Plus, the kids can munch on something slightly more nutritious than candy while they make them 🙂
Goldfish cracker boxes would be perfect too. Love that idea, Chelsea.
So beautiful! i love it very much. thanks for sharing.
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