7 Creative Gingerbread House Ideas With Pictures

Christmas traditions are one of the best things about the holidays. From opening advent calendars to decorating Christmas trees, there are endless activities to partake in with family, friends, or solo.

Making gingerbread houses is one of those activities that can’t be missed during the winter months. Creating a design, mixing up the frosting, and taking in the sweet smell of ginger is a festivity in itself!

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 house at Christmas (and want to keep decorations to a minimum), a gingerbread house makes a neat decoration that exudes homeliness.

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

Some traditions involve making the biggest gingerbread house that you can to impress your guests. But something that’s even more impressive (and time-saving!) is a mini gingerbread house! Building small houses can be trickier and slightly more fiddly than building a larger house.

But it offers a cute, dainty, and subtle aesthetic that is sure to impress your house guests at Christmas time. Plus, being so small, mini gingerbread houses are much easier to eat when the holiday season ends than larger houses.

 2. Gingerbread Condo Buildings

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. So it’s best to stick to an area or scaled-down version (like three floors instead of fifteen!). This will make it similar to a condo building, without the intense work.

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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.

Related article: How to Stage a Property For an Open House

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 come 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 a gingerbread landmark that is instantly recognizable, 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.

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6. Gingerbread City

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.

Don’t forget about building a Christmas tree from gingerbread (or other sweet treat), too. 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

Finally, another gingerbread house idea is to build something not made of gingerbread! The sweet biscuits aren’t for everyone and there are other options 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 savory 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! To learn more about us and selling a house fast and beyond, give us a call today at (215) 769-9875.