You’re probably asking yourself: should we make one this year? Big or little? Fancy or simple?
Gingerbread designs run from simple to complex! The mom at home with little ones has totally different gingerbread house decorating ideas than the chef from the local five star restaurant!
I invite you to browse these 27 gingerbread decorating ideas I’ve pulled from all corners of the internet. Gingerbread house ideas are really endless. I only included edible gingerbread house decorating ideas since this is a food blog after all! Whether your experience is focused with pristine piping or around a table laughing and eating your way through the holidays, let the inspiration begin!
First up is this woodsy rustic log cabin creation. Pretzels of all lengths and thicknesses take the starring role! It started with gingerbread pieces from a kit – why not? More time for decorating! Specifics for walls, door, windows, and chimney are all shown in process. Icing recipe and assembly instructions included.
Right off the bat, something different for gingerbread house decorating ideas – a double gingerbread cookie house cake! The best part? This house is pink! It includes spicy gingerbread cake, cream cheese frosting, gingerbread cookies, royal icing and edible decorations. Recipes for all parts included. Make walls and frame a few days before decorating to allow icing to set. Step by step instructions included!
Leave it to Martha Stewart to keep it simple and classic in her gingerbread decorating ideas! Her Swedish gingerbread how-to is equally elegant. Recipes for gingerbread cookie dough, caramel syrup and royal icing are given with step by step assembly directions. Templates included if you choose. SO many professional tips here.
This blogger certainly knows how to decorate a gingerbread house! She’s won several awards and talks us through making her latest winner. The tips with explanations and pictures are a treasure trove. Nothing like experience to teach you! She provides recipes depending on whether you want an edible house or construction grade with edible materials.
The variety of gingerbread house ideas are seemingly unending. If you’re okay with going outside the mold, pun intended, the world is your oyster! If you’re a Star Wars fan with patience, this gingerbread house is exquisite! Her creativity is amazing! Process pictures are equally phenomenal.
Gingerbread designs stripped back to gingerbread and icing are quite captivating! There’s something about iced patterns that herald to a less complicated time. This design captures that essence perfectly—captured further in a mason jar or under a cheese dome. Recipes are shared plus details on rolling, templates, and assembly.
This is a full explanation of how to bake, assemble and decorate a gingerbread house for the everyday baker. She included a fantastic embedded video that’s WELL worth your time! She shares construction grade gingerbread and royal icing recipes. Steps are clearly numbered with pictures. Details for brick designing and stain glass windows included!
If you’re planning a gingerbread house making party, this post shows how average-decorator folks implement gingerbread house decorating ideas! They started with kits but personalized everything else! Pictures capture it all – items chosen, organized beginning, messy process, final display. Kids and adults enjoy creating together. Bonding and memory making!
These are striking A-frame houses made out of the creator’s “OREO” style cookie dough recipe.
Cake bombs have entered our gingerbread house ideas chat! Gingerbread cake inside and white chocolate coating outside make these as delicious as they are cute! A mold was used so you might need one. Decorations included candy sticks, sprinkles, sugar crystals and Airheads added with royal icing. Recipes included.
This gal is serious about gingerbread house decorations and design, so much so that she even has published a whole book about them! Her recipe, which is provided, claims to be tasty AND sturdy enough for construction and this is unique because oftentimes the dough is one or the other, but not both. She highly recommends cardboard cake rounds for the building surface.
This nativity replica rings true to the holiday and uses gingerbread cookie cutters. The one shown includes stable, Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Wise Men, palm trees, donkey and cow. Recipe uses honey and brown sugar instead of molasses.
These miniature gingerbread house ideas look whimsical and adorable! If mini is your obsession, these will definitely go on your list! These mini houses fit over mug sides as perfect accompaniment to coffee, cocoa, cider or tea! Recipe, assembly and decoration fully explained. When plated, they look like a charming miniature village!
Absolutely cannot leave out our friends with allergies when gathering gingerbread house decorating ideas! This post has gluten free vegan gingerbread recipe with egg free royal icing! This accommodates lots of folks! Substitutions are explained and measurements shared for the house design.
Not intereNot interested in building actual gingerbread but still want it edible? No problem! Pop-Tarts make perfect house walls and roofs! This could be a game changer! They come iced and plenty sturdy for building. Cut easily with serrated knife. Whip up royal icing or buy ready-made, just give it time to dry.
16. Rustic Log Cabin
For woodsy log cabin gingerbread house ideas there are many! This one is full of cuteness too! I mean, come on, a moose!!! Ideas are discussed and Martha Stewart’s tips were put into practice. Being in England she modified the recipe and shared it. Such personality!
Several sweetly designed houses with gingerbread house decorations in this post. Same frame, with different color and candy decoration approaches. Most of the actual information is in a video titled “How to Put Together A Gingerbread House” embedded in the post.
Ooo if you aren’t a fan of the smell or taste of gingerbread, check out this sugar cookie house! It’s super cute. The cookie, buttercream, and royal icing recipes are all included along with assembly steps and decoration ideas!
This post has tips on the process, a timeline, the recommended candy, the preparation, the recipes, how to best use the template, and the decoration details! I must say this is indeed a comprehensive overview and well worth the read! Fantastic pictures too!
Let’s branch out to different gingerbread construction ideas beyond a house. Here we have a TRAIN! We’re also looking at another building material – graham crackers! The hardest part is letting icing dry during construction! If working with kiddos, do that step ahead of time! Fantastic supply list and full explanation included!
21. Lebkuchen Houses
Very authentic and gorgeous gingerbread decorating ideas in this post as the writer likes the natural, gentle feel of these designs. The description of the templates to create and the parts of the houses are explained in detail. Reading through this post was a calming and nurturing experience, capturing the beauty of the season.
If you want to know how to decorate a gingerbread house that reflects a more modern home, this post may be the one for you. Full explanation given from the recipes, to the template, to the baking, to the assembly, to the decorating is given in step-by-step instructions as well as in pictures!
Another creative idea here for a different food item to create a gingerbread house, Rice Krispie Treats! The second twist here is to make the Rice Krispie with Cocoa Krispies and melted chocolate for a brown color and great stability!
If choo-choo train gingerbread designs could actually move, wouldn’t that be a sight to see? We are in luck because this one does move with the help of a motorizing car underneath it. Three recipes are shared along with six detailed steps from beginning to end! Many steps to follow but still lots of room for creativity and personalization!
This boxy Victorian storefront gingerbread house looks like it belongs on a small quaint town square! This has a three day prep time, wonderful recipes and instructions.
Additionally there is an extensive list of tips at the end so don’t miss them!
This post was about replicating the colors and feel of a Lisa Frank illustration!
Bright, colorful, whimsical! Full list of materials is provided along with perhaps the brightest most colorful pictures I’ve ever seen! Plus how-to steps that were taken to make this colorful gingerbread house!
Graham crackers and all kinds of nuts take over this gingerbread decorating ideas plan.
And they encourage you to decorate with other snacks and foods besides just candy.
So this build includes such items as green peas, dried cranberries, pretzel sticks, along with all kinds of nuts like pecans, almonds, pistachios, walnuts and cashews. There’s a short video too for a close up overview of the final product!
