26 DIY Gingerbread House Ideas

Gingerbread — whether it comes in the shape of cookies, people or homes — has been a longstanding holiday menu item for many families. Building a gingerbread house is a great activity for kids of all ages; even some of the youngest family members can do some of the simpler tasks. If you don’t have the time to make your gingerbread house from scratch, there are gingerbread house kits available in various sizes and themes. Pre-made kits can be customized and decorated any way you like, you don’t have to follow what’s on the box. Make it your own. If the taste of gingerbread isn’t your thing, we’ve got recipes that are cake-based so they can easily become part of your holiday dessert offerings. We've also got ideas for savory gingerbread houses that would be perfect for any holiday party.

First up: A cake-based, graham-cracker-covered A-frame house. This one is as tasty to eat as it is to look at. To make it easy, this home was constructed using two boxes of store-bought cake mix that were cut and shaped then covered in chocolate frosting and graham crackers. The roof is made of graham-cracker-flavored cereal and adorned with white-frosting icicles, candies and gumdrops. A little cotton candy stuffed into the chimney serves as a touch of smoke.

GET THE RECIPE: Gingerbread House Cake