7 Creative Gingerbread House Ideas With Pictures

Creative gingerbread house ideas for kids.

I simply love Christmas. I’m all in with the Christmas-themed jumpers, hot cocoa, and the winter season. Christmas traditions are the best aspect of the holidays. From opening Advent calendars to decorating Christmas trees, there are endless activities for everyone.

Our homebuying company has a Christmas event every year where we build gingerbread houses with the team. Creating a design, mixing up the frosting, and the sweet scent of ginger is a festival in itself! I find it “a great team-bonding exercise.”

Spending the holidays with family should be full of fun, and there’s nothing like building your own gingerbread house for everyone to enjoy. Even if you’re selling your home at Christmas (and want to keep decorations to a minimum), a gingerbread house makes a neat decoration that exudes hominess.

If you want to build a gingerbread house this year, keep reading to see our top seven gingerbread house ideas with pictures.

1. Mini Gingerbread Houses

two mini gingerbread houses hanging with a cup

Some traditions involve making the biggest gingerbread house to impress your guests. But something that’s even more impressive is a mini gingerbread house!

It offers a cute, dainty, and subtle aesthetic that is sure to impress your house guests at Christmas time.

2. Gingerbread Condo Buildings

a holiday themed gingerbread house apartment building

Another fun, creative, and unique gingerbread house idea to ditch the beautiful suburban house that everyone builds. Instead, opt for a more modern, tongue-in-cheek version of a gingerbread house by making a gingerbread condo building.

It’s less traditional, but if you live in a big city, your friends and family might appreciate its realism. Just remember that building the entire building can be difficult.

Related article: How to Maintain a Multi-Family Building

3. Your Own House or Neighborhood

While it’s easier said than done, the ultimate gingerbread house idea is to create a replica of your own home – or the town, village, or neighborhood you live in. The true fun would be in using the small pieces of candy and chocolate to really nail down the small details.

For example, adding candy where your neighbor’s car always parks. If you’re selling your property at Christmas, building a gingerbread house of your home or the neighborhood is a cute addition for any viewers. The sweet (quite literally!) replica can show a sense of community and homeliness.

4. Gingerbread Nativity Scene

For something a little more religious in your home, opt for building a nativity-themed gingerbread house. These nativity gingerbread house sets are available in some stores or can be built from scratch (provided you’re very good at baking and like a challenge!).

Depending on how exotic you’d like your nativity scene to be, you can build a basic structure with the main features. Or go all out with a large barn, a star, and all the main features.

5. Gingerbread Landmark

Another fun challenge to take on this holiday season is to build an instantly recognizable gingerbread landmark, even in food form! Using gingerbread, candy, frosting, and a little bit of ingenuity, you could create your own tourist attractions.

Depending on what you prefer, you can choose a landmark that commemorates the city you live in or your hometown. Or something far away and globally celebrated, like the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, the Pyramids, or the Coliseum.

6. Gingerbread City

a gingerbread house city with multiple houses

Feeling ambitious? Don’t stop at building just a gingerbread house! See if you and your family can take on some gingerbread city planning. Consider building gingerbread roads in between gingerbread hospitals, office buildings, fire stations, and parks. It’ll be a fun undertaking that you can take on slowly over the course of the holiday season.

You may need to visit a Christmas tree lot to find that perfect one for your own house. Then you can model it next to your gingerbread house.

Related article: How to Make a Family Home Cozier

7. Non-Gingerbread House

a gingerbread house decorated with icing

Finally, another gingerbread house idea is to build something not made of gingerbread! The sweet biscuits aren’t for everyone, and other options are available. Consider using other sweet ingredients that have a similar structural integrity, like cookies, biscuits, and rice cakes.

Or, for something a little more savory, you can build a “gingerbread” house from items like crackers, vegetables, dips, and other treats. Learn more about how to build a savory gingerbread house at FoxesLoveLemons.

Summary

There are so many gingerbread house ideas (with pictures) that you can use to create a fun and festive decoration in your home this year. To get started, learn how to build a gingerbread house from scratch at Simply Recipes.

From the whole team at Brotherly Love Real Estate, Happy holidays, everyone! And if you’d like to sell your real home, you know how to reach us.

Alex Capozzolo

Co-founder of Brotherly Love Real Estate, Alex Capozzolo, is recognized as a trusted real estate expert in the greater Philadelphia, PA market. Alex, and his partner Jon Sanborn, have been buying houses in Philly for eight-plus years. They’ve helped +100 families successfully sell their houses. Alex and Jon continue to be viewed as reliable resources in the real estate industry.