Gingerbread is a sure sign that the holidays are approaching.  You can learn how to make a gingerbread house from scratch or make one using a kit.  Just be sure to make one!

How to Make a Gingerbread House

If you’ve ever attempted to make a gingerbread house you’ll know that there are a couple of options.  You can either make it from scratch, a longer task that may take a day or two, or you can buy a kit that includes everything you’ll need to build this seasonal favorite.  Kids will have lots of fun with this no matter what you do, it is a fantastic way to get them creating and thinking.

If you don’t feel up for baking, then go buy a kit so that it’s ready to go and your kids can start in on having fun decorating.  To put the house together just follow the directions given with the kit, it’s pretty straightforward.  Many kits will come with an edible icing ‘glue’, but for those that do now see the recipe below.

Here’s a recipie for edible glue:

• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1-2 cups confectioners sugar

Mix the ingredients until you get a thick, glue-like consistency.  When it’s fully mixed, put the edible glue into a piping gun and you’re ready to start!

Now you’ll have to build the house.  It’s a good idea to put the walls and roof together in stages, allowing the glue to dry between each stage.  This ensures you build a strong base for decorating.

Once you’ve got the house built then the real fun begins!  Your kids can pick out decorations like licorcie, gum drops, candy canes, Smarties and more.

A few ideas:

• Use licorice squares to make a chimney.
• Gingerbread men (& women) make great people for around the front or inside the house.  Give them personality by deocorating and giving them faces.
• How about some trees out front?  Use pretzel sticks attached with greee candle leaves (you could use the edible glue for this).
• Use food coloring to add color to your glue.  Use colored glue to outline windows, doors and roof.
• Use a graham cracker as a name plate.  Pipe on the family name or name of the children who decorated the house.
• Put Santa on the roof by adding a Santa cookie.
• Ad a family pet by placing animal crackers outside the house.

Kids have a great imagination so let them put it to good use creating ideas for their gingerbread house.  Be sure to have the right toold available.  It doesn’t matter what size house you are making, the possibilites are endless.  Your kids will have plenty of fun while learning as well.