9 Creative Gingerbread House Ideas

The holiday season is here, and for many families that means gathering around the dining table and decorating gingerbread houses. Whether you’re a by-the-book creator who likes to assemble store-bought gingerbread house kits or a DIY-er who makes their own outlines from scratch, decorating gingerbread houses is a fun activity that brings families and friends together.

To inspire your next masterpiece, we’ve rounded up nine creative gingerbread house ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

1. Traditional Christmas cottage

Capture the magic of the season with a classic Christmas gingerbread house. Use royal icing to frost the roof like snowy shingles, and line the edges with peppermint candies. Add a charming candy cane archway and decorate the yard with gingerbread cookies shaped like Christmas trees. Sprinkles in festive red and green can add a cheerful touch to any spaces that need a little extra decoration.

2. Wickedly fun gingerbread mansion

For fans of the musical Wicked, create an enchanting gingerbread house that is half green, half pink. Use chocolate graham crackers for the walls and black royal icing to craft shingles on the Elphaba side. Then use pink and white icing on the Glinda side to create bows, frills, and lace. Top it off with a licorice broomstick and mini candycane wand to give your mansion a witchy flair.

3. Rustic ski cabin

Bring the charm of a snowy ski lodge to life with this cozy gingerbread house idea. Use pretzel sticks on your hom'e’s exterior to mimic wooden logs, and sprinkle on powdered sugar on top for a snow-dusted roof. Create a candy cane ski rack and tiny gingerbread cookie or stick pretzel skis to lean against the cabin. For an extra wintery touch, add a marshmallow snowman to the house’s yard.

4. Modern minimalist home

Who says gingerbread houses can’t be contemporary? Hallmarks of modern design include clean lines, neutral colors, and minimalism. If you’re designing your own gingerbread house template, use modern minimalism as inspiration for a sleek, unique look. Use white royal icing to add detail to your house and metallic sprinkles for a touch of sparkle. Skip the traditional shingles and opt for smooth fondant panels. Add a single, small Christmas tree made of green fondant in the yard for an extra holiday touch.

5. Pop-culture palace

Celebrate your favorite pop culture moments by designing a themed gingerbread house. You could create a Barbie-pink gingerbread dream house with pink and red peppermint accents, a house based on your favorite Taylor Swift era, a Mario-themed castle decorated with colorful candies, and so much more. The possibilities are endless! Use a pre-made gingerbread house template to get the structure right, and then customize your house with icing and candies that fit your theme.

6. Winter wonderland igloo

Step away from the traditional gingerbread house structure and design an icy igloo template instead. Either bake rounded gingerbread pieces for the walls or pile on the icing to create a domed look on top of flat gingerbread pieces. To get the look of ice blocks, attach marshmallows to your igloo’s walls. Accents like white sprinkles and powdered sugar can add to your igloo’s frosty look.

7. Candy cane castle

Create a gingerbread candy cane castle fit for a sugarplum fairy. Use graham crackers to build towers and turrets around your main structure, and secure them with royal icing. Cover the walls with crushed peppermint and use whole candy canes to create decorative columns. Decorate the yard with crushed candy canes to top off your house’s delicious look.

8. Snow Globe Gingerbread House

Take your gingerbread house to the next level by turning it into a snow globe. Build a small gingerbread house in any design you like and fit it inside a clear plastic dome. Attach sprinkles and candies on the inside walls of the globe to simulate falling snow.

9. Gingerbread village

Why stop at just one house? Create an entire village of mini gingerbread houses for a delightful twist on this Christmas classic. Each house can feature a different design, from simple cabins with pretzel log siding to elegant homes with intricate royal icing details. Place the houses on a large board and surround them with edible snow made from shredded coconut.

Tips for gingerbread house success

No matter how you choose to decorate your gingerbread house this Christmas, these tips will help set you up for success as you get creative:

• Start with a sturdy base. If you are new to creating gingerbread houses, start with a template to ensure your walls and roof align perfectly. This will ensure your houses’s structure is solid so you can have fun decorating
• Master the royal icing. When royal icing dries, it hardens. This makes it the perfect go-to edible adhesive for assembling and decorating your gingerbread house.
• Get creative with materials. Don’t limit yourself to candy—try pretzels, graham crackers, or even cereal to add unique texture to your home and yard.

Frequently asked gingerbread house questions

If you’re new to gingerbread house creation, you may have a few questions. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked gingerbread house questions to help make your project a success.

What is the best thing to stick a gingerbread house together?

The best “glue” for holding your gingerbread house together is royal icing. This thick, sugary frosting hardens as it dries, making it perfect for holding your house together and keeping decorations in place. To make sure your royal icing works its best:

• Use freshly made icing to get the best consistency.
• Apply a generous amount wherever you need to glue things together.
• Let the icing set for a few minutes before adding decorations to allow it time to dry.

What are good decorations for a gingerbread house?

One of the beauties of gingerbread house decorating is that the possibilities are endless. Virtually anything can be added to your house as decoration, but here are some popular choices:

• Classic candies like peppermints, gumdrops, candy canes, and chocolate buttons can be used to decorate your house.
• Shredded coconut or powdered sugar can be used to make edible snow.
• Pretzel sticks for log siding, cereal pieces for roof shingles, or sprinkles for a pop of color can all be used to add texture to your house.
• Mini gingerbread cookies, marshmallows, and sugar cones decorated as Christmas trees can be used to add extra flare to your home’s yard.

How can I make my gingerbread house better?

To elevate your gingerbread house, consider the following ideas:

• Plan ahead: Sketch a design or come prepared with some ideas of how you want to theme your gingerbread house. This will help give you direction when it comes time to decorate.
• Mix textures: Combine sleek royal icing, crunchy pretzels, rough cereals, and soft marshmallows to add visual interest to your house’s appearance.
• Add dimension: Layer candies or build additional structures for your house like chimneys, fences, or pathways to make it unique

What icing is best for gingerbread houses?

Royal icing is the go-to glue for gingerbread houses for a reason. Its thick, pipeable consistency makes it easy to add to your gingerbread house, and it dries into a hard glue, making it ideal for holding everything together.

What else can I use to build a house instead of gingerbread for Christmas?

If traditional gingerbread isn’t your style, consider these fun alternatives:

• Graham crackers: Graham crackers are a great alternative option place of traditional gingerbread. Use royal icing to glue graham pieces together and personalize your structure with candy decorations.
• Sugar cookies: Roll and cut dough into shapes, then bake and assemble.

• Cardboard or Foam Boards: For non-edible displays, cardboard or foam board can be used to create sturdy structures.

What are the best decorations for a gingerbread house?

Classic candies like candy canes, sprinkles, and peppermint are perfect for decorating a gingerbread house, but don’t be afraid to get creative. Think out of the box—like using fondant for sculpting or adding edible glitter for extra sparkle.

Merry Christmas from Vivint

This Christmas, let your imagination soar with these gingerbread house ideas. Whether you stick with a traditional design or embrace a pop-culture twist, your gingerbread creation is sure to be the highlight of the holiday season.

While you decorate your gingerbread house, let Vivint take care of protecting your home. With cameras that can detect intruders before they have a chance to strike and 24/7 monitoring that ensures your home is always protected, Vivint has everything you need to increase your peace of mind this holiday season.

Call us at 800.646.1469 for a free consultation today.