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The magical, jolly festival of Christmas is (finally) around the corner! As Christmas approaches, it’s hard to tamp down the joy and excitement that has been bubbling inside us for so long. Each one of us looks forward to decking our hallways with cute and festive decorations.
And who can forget EDIBLE decorations? They are always the cherry on top! Seeing that a gingerbread house is a Christmas staple, why not make one with your own personal twist?
After all, there is so much scope for improvisation where a gingerbread house is considered. And that’s where we come in—we will make sure you know what all you can do just right to kick it up a notch and make a delicious and appealing little house.
Scroll down to see some of the best ideas for making and decorating gingerbread houses that will leave your family and guests in awe.
51 Best Gingerbread House Ideas
1. Picturesque Country Gingerbread House
Take a look at this vintage, old fashioned, blue gingerbread house. It’s giving us some serious countryside feels. This unique take at decorating gingerbread houses is like a fresh aesthetic breath of air. Use blue icing and some green garlands to decorate your house!
You can use any other pale color you like too.
2. Simple and Sober
Who said you ALWAYS have to use rows and rows of red and green candies to make your gingerbread house look beautiful? A simple house finished with beautiful detailing using only royal white icing will give your piece a real classy look.
You can get creative and use different colors for the icing as well, but make sure that you use the ones that complement each other.
3. Graham Cracker Gingerbread House
Got any leftover Halloween candy? Amazing. Extra smores? That’s a plus! Make this cute no-bake gingerbread house from just these two ingredients and top it off with some gummy bears, jellybeans, and M&M’s. Include your kids in this fun and easy project, they’ll definitely love it!
4.Queen Anne-style Replica
This piece is a replica of the Carson Mansion in Eureka, CA. If you’re ready to put in some effort, go ahead and make your own version of this award-winning gingerbread house by using royal icing for the mortar and detail work, and molded transparent gelatin for the windows. The rest of the figures can be made using fondant.
5. Gingerbread Farm
Make this adorable, snowy farm scene using shredded coconut as snow. Use icing or white chocolate to cover the roof, chimney, fence, and trees; add little farm animal cookies—horses, hens, or cows detailed with icing. And if you want sheep, just stick some marshmallows together!
The results will be well worth your time and effort.
6. Gingerbread House Cottages
Instead of creating a whole gingerbread house, you can construct these charming little cottages!
Make the windows with melted hard orange cream candies, and choose between a bran cereal thatched roof cottage with brown icing and mortar with embedded jellybeans, or a snow-covered cabin with melted white chocolate sprinkled with sparkling sugar.
7. Minecraft Gingerbread House
For y’all Minecraft lovers out there, this is the perfect gingerbread house idea. It’s super easy to make too! This house is made out of Honey Grahams, Rice Cereal (plain and chocolate), Pretzel Twists, Green Melting Chocolates, and Candy Canes.
8. Candy Gingerbread House
This easy-to-make gingerbread house is completely decorated with candies. While the roof is decorated with different kinds of chocolate candies, the base is decorated with sugar candies embedded in royal icing. Effortless and tasty!
9. Super Tiny Gingerbread Houses that Double as Cookies For Your Hot Drink
If you are the patient kind, assemble these teeny tiny gingerbread houses that can sit on your mug while you sip on some hot cocoa after a long day of cleaning and decorating. We just can’t get over the cuteness of these little houses. Take them out, dunk them in your cocoa, and enjoy!
10. Easy Gingerbread House Using Milk Carton
You can very easily make a gingerbread house using a leftover, empty milk carton of any size. Just wrap the carton in foil, and stick on the gingerbread to every side with frosting. You can do this as a fun activity during the Christmas season with your kids! Use any type of candy for decoration.
11. Pop-Tarts Gingerbread House
This one is a cool and unique gingerbread house, it gives off a beautiful, vibrant, and colorful look as it’s decorated with some of our favorite cereals and candies. Who thought you could ever use cereal for decoration?
12. Victorian Gingerbread House
Make this lively gingerbread house by using a classic Victorian gingerbread blueprint. The chimney is made up of jelly candy rocks, and the roof is made up of chocolate fondant with corn starch. The yellow, glowing windows are made up of yellow edible paper.
Use some royal white frosting for a little detail and voila! You’ll find yourself with a beautiful Victorian gingerbread house.
13. Gingerbread Lodge
This classy gingerbread lodge doesn’t call for a lot of hard work—just some smart work. Candy rocks have been used to make the exterior, rolled wafers to make the exposed beams, and a generous helping of royal icing and some coarse sugar for the snow-covered rooftop. This looks beautiful and you don’t have to put in a lot of effort.
14. Classic Gingerbread House
This tiny, generic snowcapped piece decorated with candies and frosting with vibrant sprigs of holly and a star-shaped cookie above the door is THE ultimate gingerbread house. Just decorate it the same way you would decorate your actual house for Christmas.
15. Gingerbread House Terrarium
Take a large glass cookie jar and fill it with granulated sugar for the snowy look; put in a mini basic gingerbread house decorated with frosting along with gingerbread trees and animals. Add a couple of rosemary ‘bushes’ and cover with the lid. Magical, right? You can also gift this to a loved one—just wrap the lid with some twine or ribbon.
16. Log Cabin Style Gingerbread House
Make your very own log cabin style gingerbread house by making logs cut out of baked gingerbread. Glue the logs together using a mixture of confectioner’s sugar and water and decorate it with whatever you like!
17. Big Boot Gingerbread House
This huge gingerbread house as a big boot in disguise (or vice versa) is such a clever idea. If you are willing to put in the hard work, the results will surely satisfy your creative soul. Add candies, some gingerbread men, and frosting to enhance the look!
18. Gingerbread Candy Shoppe
There’s no written rule that you ONLY have to make gingerbread HOUSES. Make this pretty and quirky candy shoppe out of gingerbread and stand out from the crowd this Christmas.
19. Nativity Gingerbread House
If you are a minimalist, use basic gingerbread shapes for the manger’s construction, and cookie-cutter nativity figures to complete the nativity scene. This is a very simple and elegant DIY.
20. Swiss Chalet
Make this fabulous Swiss Chalet style gingerbread house this Christmas. Use utility knives to cut the roof shingles before baking to give it a vintage, rustic look. Assemble and add minute detailing with royal white frosting. Add some at the top to give the roof a snow-covered look.
21. Gingerbread Cabin
Make a cozy-looking gingerbread cabin by using gingerbread, shredded wheat cereal, pretzel rods, and candy rocks. Use broken pretzel pieces and a chocolate disk to add mounted candy antlers on the door. You can use shredded coconut if you need to create a snowy scene.
Now all that’s needed is for you to take a blanket and some hot cocoa and chill inside this cabin, right?
22. Gingerbread House Ornament
Spice up your Christmas tree decorations with mini gingerbread house ornaments. Who thought they could be eaten AND be used as a Christmas decoration at the same time? Add ribbons to hang from them the branches.
23. Covered in Candy
Use candies and use lots of white, red, and green edibles on your gingerbread house to give it the ultimate festive look. You can also use candy canes, gingerbread men, edible glitter, and wreaths to decorate it further to achieve those ‘Christmassy’ vibes.
24. English Cottage
Make a cute, small English cottage with your gingerbread, and use thin chocolate shavings for the roof along with some powdered sugar for the sides. Quick, easy, and simple! Pretty too! You can use some green frosting to add a garland and some bushes on the sides as well.
25. Night Before Christmas Scene
Make a Sim’s like version of the night before Christmas scene using gingerbread, royal icing, and fondant. This is pretty creative, right? A different kinda version for a change.
26. Simple Gingerbread House with Chimney
Make this simple gingerbread house using an A-frame kit. Use graham crackers, red chewy candy, and icing for the chimneys. Use shredded coconut and icing to create a snowy effect.
27. Gingerbread House Snow Globes
Make tiny gingerbread houses and decorate them with some royal white icing, but this time, put them in glasses of vanilla ice cream. Your edible snow globes are ready! You can serve them during your dessert course.
28. Tiki Hut Gingerbread House
If you are used to spending Christmas in warm weather, this idea is for you. Instead of choosing cold, snowy gingerbread house vibes, make your own gingerbread tiki hut to suit your climate!
Use pretzel sticks for the frame, and place a gingerbread man at the bar for serving drinks. All ideas listed here are amazing, but this one takes the cake.
29. Light it Up
Make a gingerbread house that lights up! First, make a regular gingerbread house, and decorate it in any way you like. Make sure you leave one panel off the roof. Insert the lights inside and turn them on after you’re done!
30. Mason Jar Gingerbread House
Make gingerbread houses with mason jars as the frames—cover the jars with gingerbread dough. These look like small lighthouses with a Santa cap for a roof. Cute, right? Fill them up with candies!
This is a great idea for gifts and will prevent you from wasting a whole lot of dough that doesn’t even get eaten later.
31. New England Church Style Gingerbread House
Create a snow-covered church using lots of frosting and basic gingerbread. Sweet (literally) and simple! Use fondant to make the trees. Add powdered sugar or shredded coconut on the ground as snow.
32. Gingerbread Christmas Village Houses
Make a cluster of these easy-to-assemble-and-decorate mini gingerbread houses so that you can have a whole mini village! Decorate the houses with red and green candies, and you’re done! These can be served as a snack or used as a decoration at a buffet table.
33. Nutty Gingerbread House
Make this rustic gingerbread house completely decorated with nuts—almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, and cashews. Since this is a no-bake version using graham crackers, you have no excuse for not trying this out! Add some frosting to finish off the look.
34. Christmas Tree Farm
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/21017977/editors-picks-99-amazingly-crafted-gingerbread-houses
This Christmas Tree Farm version of a gingerbread barn is another great idea for a gingerbread house.
Make the sides of the barn out of piped gingerbread battens attached before baking. Use royal icing to make all the trees and wreaths. Carve the horse, little girl, and the snowman out of gum paste. You can add some animals to this scene too.
35. Winter Wonderland Gingerbread Cottage
Construct this cute little gingerbread cottage with your family and have a jolly time. Decorate it using marshmallows, Crispix, chiclets gum, M&M’s, rice cereal, candy canes, fruit rolls, edible glitter, and rope licorice—gosh, anyone with a sweet tooth is going to love this!
36. Gum Siding Gingerbread Houses
Make tiny little gingerbread houses and cover their sides with pieces of colorful gum. This is a pretty unique idea, right? Cut the gum up in small rectangles for the bricks, and bigger ones for the doors. Add colorful candy for decoration.
37. “Up” Gingerbread House
If you’re a fan of Disney movies, this ‘Up’ gingerbread house is just the project for you. You will definitely have loads of fun constructing it using fondant and gum paste. Like in the picture, using spaghetti sticks topped with jelly beans for the ballons.
38. Pastel Gingerbread House
Make a small cute pastel gingerbread house decorated with pastel-colored candy on the roof. These light, pale colors give it a chirpy and cute look—your gingerbread house will be pleasing and soothing to look at.
You can also use red, green, and white candies if you want a more festive vibe.
39. Beach Shack
Create this hippy beach shack with tropical vibes using gingerbread and gum paste. Add in surfboards, a canoe, a Volkswagen, trees, and even a seagull! This is a pretty unique idea.
40. Gingerbread Country Church
Make this beautiful gingerbread country church with colorful glass windows and a red roof—use sugar to mimic sprinkled snow. You can even install lights inside to show off the beauty of those stained glass windows!
41. Gingerbread Birdhouse
Make tiny little super cute gingerbread birdhouses this Christmas—sadly the birds can’t use them, but you definitely can (stuff your tummy with them!). Use red and green icing to decorate them as it’s Christmas.
42. Gingerbread Chapel
Cover your gingerbread house with a mix of candy bars to make it look like stones. Use gum for the white trim stone around the windows and fruit roll-ups for the stained glass window. Construct the roof using graham crackers.
You can even sprinkle some sugar or shredded coconut on the roof if you want some snow.
43. Palm Springs Gingerbread House
This cute gingerbread house will leave you wanting to take a vacation and leave for someplace warmer. It is a simple-to-make gingerbread house with minimal decorations and ingredients, and will surely charm your guests!
43. Victorian Storefront Gingerbread House
Will you just look at this piece of art? We are sure you would hate eating it after making it. But this cute little Victorian toy store is definitely worth making. It calls for a bit of work using gingerbread, candies, and frosting! You can use powdered sugar for snow.
44. Fairy Gingerbread House
This one is a magical-looking gingerbread house! What can be cuter than a fairy house? Look at the beautiful windows and that tiny door! The detailed icing makes it a feast for the eyes first, then for the stomach.
45. Red, White, and Blue Gingerbread House
If you’re a true American at heart, show off your pride by sculpting this beautiful gingerbread house decorated entirely with red, white, and blue candies.
Sure, you might have the flag outside the house all year round. But why give up the chance of having your own American flag colored gingerbread house this Christmas?
46. Pink Gingerbread House
Are you a fan of the color pink? If yes, make a bubbly pink gingerbread house that’ll give you those 90s rom-com vibes. Use everything pink for the decoration (but the snow should be white :D) and it’s done!
47. Gingerbread House Place Cards
Make mini gingerbread houses decorated with royal white icing and write on the roofs the names of your guests—your gingerbread place cards are ready! This idea has many advantages—you’ll get to show off your skills, and save paper. These can double as mini gifts for your guests too.
48. Red Candy Cane Gingerbread House
When you think Christmas, you think red and white (no doubt about it). Take a bunch of red and white candy canes and cover your gingerbread house with them. You can also use other red candies like M&M’s, jellybeans, etc.
Your gingerbread house will look simple and festive.
49. Bathed in Snow Chalet
This time, we are covering the whole piece with snow just because we can! This A-frame design country chalet calls for little ingredients and some dedication—you will be left with an amazing gingerbread house with beautiful designs.
50. Log Cabin
This log cabin is made out of a gingerbread frame covered with pretzel sticks—it almost looks real! Add some chocolate buttons on the roof, and sugar or shredded coconut on the ground.
Phew. We have covered a ton of the best ideas, guys. All of these are amazing and are definitely fun to make with your family. Choose the one you like the most and get started! And have a Merry Christmas!
