House

• The basis of the gingerbread house is the house and surrounding area. A fun way to spruce up the house and the yard is to lightly coat the ground and house with “snow”, which can be everything from coconut shavings to granulated sugar, depending on your preference. To make roof shingles use Andes mints and stagger them along the roof. If you do not want to buy or make gingerbread for the house construction, you can use graham crackers.

Trees

• Making Christmas trees in the yard is an easy decoration as well. Make star-shaped cookies in varying sizes. Frost them with green icing and stack them large to small so they look like a Christmas tree.

Icing

• The icing is what makes the decorating possible. Royal icing will hold best and it is very easy to make. Just mix powered sugar and water until you have the consistency you want for your frosting. You can also use food coloring to dye the icing.

Decorations

• Once the house is put together, it is time to decorate. There are myriad decorating possibilities. The simplest are candy like skittles, jujubes, gumdrops, M&Ms, sprinkles or Milk Duds. Use these to decorate doors, create Christmas lights or add colorful patterns on or around the house.

Pre-Made Kits

• For the easiest gingerbread house creation, pick up pre-made kits at various stores. These kits include the squares to make the house, the icing and various candies you can use to decorate the house. This is the easiest way to make a great looking gingerbread house.