Let’s face it, kids love to get involved in kitchen projects. This is especially true when the projects are related to something fun – something related to the holidays – like a gingerbread house.
Making your own graham cracker gingerbread house really is a fun and easy project – and in the end, it not only turns out to be a cute decoration – it tastes good too!
The ingredients are simple and you can make the house as simple or as elaborate as you want. For a great gingerbread house we recommend the following tips:
Start With The Items Listed Below…
- Cardboard covered in aluminum foil or a large plate or tray to hold the gingerbread house.
- Muffin tin
- Spoon
- Butter knife
- Serrated knife
- Small plastic bag
- Scissors
- 10 – 12 Graham Crackers (at least 8 will be used for the house and 2 for the roof – but you may want to make your house larger)
- 1 can of white frosting
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (this is added to the frosting to help it harden)
- Candy – you will use candy to decorate your house – choose a variety of candies – adding a range of colors will give your gingerbread house a traditional ‘storybook’ look – separate the candy out into a muffin tin or two.
How To Make Your Gingerbread House…
Special note: Although this is a kid-friendly project, an adult should help or at least oversee certain aspects of the gingerbread house construction.
Step 1: Prepare the frosting. Simply add the cream of tartar to the frosting. This will help ensure the frosting will harden, which means the gingerbread house will be strong enough to stand up.
Step 2: Place the frosting mixture in the plastic bag. Cut a small hole in one corner. This is where you will squeeze the frosting through. The frosting is the glue that holds your house together.
Step 3: Stack and glue 2 double graham crackers together to form the sides of the house and glue one graham cracker on its end to form each end. Variation – Glue double graham crackers end-to-end to form sides and use 1 graham cracker on its side to create each end. Please note: you can ‘saw’ the graham crackers with a serrated knife to create a peak shape for the roof. It is easier to saw the crackers than to cut them.
Step 4: Allow the glue of the walls of your gingerbread house to harden.
Step 5: Time to add your roof. Create your own house design. You can make your roof very peaked or a gentle slope.
Step 6: Allow 45 minutes to an hour drying time.
Step 7: Coat one section of the house at a time with frosting and decorate! Use your imagination and include all the candies you have available. You might even want to add a Gingerbread Man to stand outside your house!
This is a delicious decoration that can be used for Thanksgiving – but it’s so much fun to make we think you will want to make several throughout the holiday season!
Debbie Allen is a freelance writer that covers topics related to home decor, holiday trends and more. She especially enjoys sharing products from Package From Santa, like the new 2013 Authentic Collector’s Piece of Santa’s Suit!
