This post shows you the best gingerbread house decorating ideas.
Ahh yes, Christmas time. The stockings are hung, the lights are up, the presents are wrapped and the Christmas albums are on repeat. Starbucks releases Christmas drinks and the Christmas cheer is here.
Christmas time calls for kissing under the mistletoe and making eggnog. It also calls for gingerbread house decorating!
Whether it’s decorating one by yourself or decorating one with your significant other.
Or even seeing who in the family can decorate the best one, gingerbread house decorating puts a whole new cheer on Christmas.
You could go all out and make them extravagant, or you could keep them simple, that is up to you to decide.
Make them classic or come up with your own design – whichever you prefer.
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Don’t know where to start? Well, here’s a few pictures to get those creative ideas flowing.
All you need is gingerbread cookies cut out into the different pieces of the house, icing, a few toppings and you’re ready to decorate!
So put on the Mariah Carrey Christmas album and get out your piping bags and icing – here are some “cheersome” gingerbread house ideas!
24 Gingerbread house decorating ideas
1. The more the merrier
2. Keeping it simple
This quaint little gingerbread house is perfect for beginners or those who like to keep things simple.
No need to overcomplicate things.
Maybe you could even make a few of these to make a little gingerbread village.
3. Add a little extra
This gingerbread house is simple with a little bit of added pizzaz.
Make the transparent windows by crushing up some clear candy, sprinkling it into the panes, malting it in the oven and letting it cool before you assemble your house.
Add some more Christmas tree and Reindeer cookies for some extra personality.
4. Sprinkling of “snow”
For an added “Christmassy” effect, take out the small sieve and the icing sugar and sprinkle some on the roof of your house.
This makes it look like a sprinkling of snow has landed on your house.
This gingerbread house has four different levels to it – it’s up to you to decide how tall you want your house to be.
5. Twice the gingerbread house
This gingerbread house has two levels and two chimneys! It also has a brick effect on the chimneys created by pipping rectangles and a tile effect on the roof created by pipping squiggles.
6. Add some greenery
This gingerbread house has a touch of greenery.
When decorating your gingerbread houses, maybe add some foliage by pipping green icing.
This house also has a star window.
You can make your own star window by using a star cookie cutter.
7. Brick faced gingerbread house
Why not add some colour by using red textured fondant cut into little red brick shapes.
This adds a whole lot of character.
8. Recreate your own home
Why not build a replica of your own home or take some inspiration from your favourite Christmas movie?
Think outside the box; the possibilities are endless.
9. Use different toppings to create different textures
Pretzel sticks create a cozy cabin feel if you’re looking for that vibe.
You can also add Christmas trees by coating an ice cream cone in green icing and creating some texture, then adding it upside down to your base.
10. Keeping it traditional
If you like a traditional gingerbread house – here you go!
Add some jelly candy on the top to create your “lights” and use your icing to shape out all of your windows and doors – easy does it.
11. Give your roof some shape
Add another dimension to your roof by adding a few extra triangular cookies and some snow pipping.
12. Another classic
Here’s another idea if you like to keep things traditional.
This one has some added dimension by adding different layers of cookies.
13. Paint your gingerbread house
Use some edible coloring or paint to give your walls a color before you assemble your house.
I think this one looks like the Claus household.
14. Santa’s on the roof
This gingerbread has a Santa sleigh on the roof for an added bit of cuteness.
You can do this by baking and decorating some characters to add onto your house.
15. Something different
Instead of the traditional gingerbread house shape, why not make a shape that reflects a house of a different culture.
Be it your own or someone else’s, you don’t have to stick to the gingerbread house rules.
16. Snowed in
Go crazy with the icing sugar sprinkling and snow pipping.
This gives it an extra cozy feeling.
You could also add some rosemary twigs as your trees too to give it a real life illusion.
17. The more colors, the better
Use as many or as little colors as you want when decorating your gingerbread house.
Here they’ve used the colors of the rainbow – the more colors the better.
18. Keeping it classy
This cute little house has big windows and a light on inside.
You can do this by placing an LED candle into your house.
This works best with yellow or clear hard candy as the color adds to the cozy atmosphere.
19. Make the whole family
Add in the whole family as gingerbread people and while you are add it, why not add in your pets too!
This makes your gingerbread house extra special.
20. Add a snowman
Instead of going overboard with the icing and toppings, why not just add a cute snowman to complete your gingerbread house.
21. Add a porch
Adding a porch with a few extra parts is simple, all you need are two pretzel sticks and another rectangular cookie.
This adds a whole new feel to your house, like you’re stuck in a mid-western movie.
22. Add some more pretzels
Adding pretzels to your roof gives you a tile effect and makes an easy alternative to making windows and doors.
23. Use cookie cutters to give your walls texture
Using cookie cutters to give your walls texture before you bake them in the oven can help you use less icing and toppings – use whatever you have!
24. Use the Christmas colors
Green, red and white – the three Christmas colors.
Why not use them all! Nothing says Christmas more than these colors.
To conclude
From using different toppings to going overboard with icing and icing sugar, I hope that you have found some ideas to help you make that gingerbread house extra special.
Here are a few more tips before you get started:
- you could use different colored hard candy for different colored windows;
- you could get each family member to decorate their own gingerbread person to add to the house
- Why not even make a Christmas tree out of cookies that you can see through your gingerbread house window!
Whatever you do, I’m sure it’ll be “cheersome”! Here’s one last tip: ice your wall and roof pieces flat on the counter before you assemble your house. Happy decorating!
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