How to Decorate the Perfect Gingerbread House
Submitted by Angelina Ng
Building and decorating a gingerbread house is a fun activity to do during the holiday season. However, creating the perfect one might be challenging. From the frosting to the gingerbread to the candies for decorating, many aspects can drastically change your house and design. Here are some rookie tips for decorating gingerbread houses!
1. Give your frosting a warm-up
The frosting is the main appeal and view of your whole house. It is used to assemble the walls and roof, in addition to outlining and decorating. As you take out a pack of frosting, it tends to be stiff. For smoother application, put the frosting in a bowl of lukewarm water for about one minute. Your frosting should slowly soften up. Once it is taken out, you should massage the piping bag with your hands to evenly distribute the frosting before you open it!
2. Decorate before assembling
Typically, most would assemble the gingerbread house before decorating. When I do this, it is definitely harder for me to get a better angle to decorate the house. I’m not able to get into the nooks and crannies. A useful tip is to decorate the walls and roof before assembling the house. Not only can you decorate with more precision and intricate designs, but also will give you less of a hand cramp.
3. Use ALL your candy colors
With the assortment of candies that are offered in the gingerbread house kit, there is lots to work with. Some might finish their gingerbread houses with lots of candy left over. That’s not a problem! But, for more intricate details and designs, we can use the candy to add a pop of color and give your house more dimension. Find areas, like the base of the house or the sides, to add candy on. Anywhere you can add some color would make your house look great.
4. Find add-ons from your house
With gingerbread house kits, they typically come with the house, one bag of frosting, and a few bags of candies for decorating. If you want to level up your house, I recommend these typical household items for your house:
- Powdered Sugar–sprinkle it around the house to create a light and snowy effect
- Cereal–crush up some cereal and sprinkle it on the base to create a path to the door
- Cracker–use a cracker to replicate a door in the front and/or back of your house
5. Try out different designs!
Don’t be afraid to mess up. Find inspiration online, draw random lines, or throw some candy anywhere! It is all about having fun and holiday spirit for the winter. Designs can easily be wiped off if you’re not satisfied with something, so don’t hold back on creativity!
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