It’s that time of year again. Time to deck those halls, trim your tree, and get freakin’ festive. One of my favorite things to do around the holidays is make and decorate a gingerbread house. Read on for seven different ways to way your gingerbread house look the best that it can.
#SpoonTip: If you want to see an awesome video about building a gingerbread house that won’t fall down, check this one out.
Coconut Shavings
Photo by Ethan Cappello
Photo by Ethan Cappello
Skip using just icing and use coconut shavings for snow. You can do this all around your gingerbread house and also on the roof to make it look extra snowy and cute. Make sure to spread icing down first so your coconut sticks.
Create a Walkway
Photo by Ethan Cappello
This tip is pretty simple, but still adds a nice touch. Use peppermints (or some other round candy) to make a cute walkway up to your house.
Cookie Shingles
Photo by Ethan Cappello
Use Nilla Wafers (as pictured) or some other kind of small cookie to make shingles. Use LOTS of icing when doing this and wait for each line of cookies to dry before doing the next. Extra icing will help the cookies stick better and make your roof look extra snowy. Win-win.
Candy Curtains
Photo by Ethan Cappello
Can’t forget about your windows. Use candy strips (or maybe even Twizzlers) to make window shutters. I happen to find red and green ones which are super Christmas-y, but any color will work.
Add Christmas Lights
Photo by Ethan Cappello
Cut green Mike and Ikes in half and pour out some peanut M&Ms (I used the red, orange, yellow and blues ones). Glue them to your house using icing. Once you’re finished, trim your house’s roof using lots of icing (and maybe a little extra glue, so they really stick).
Ice Cream Cone Trees
Photo by Ethan Cappello
By using sugar cones (the ones with the pointy ends) and green icing, you can make awesome trees. Simply flip the cone upside down, and use green icing with a star tip.
Photo by Ethan Cappello
The star tip will make the leaves of your trees look nice and pointy. Sprinkle with extra coconut shavings when finished.
Marshmallow Snowman
Photo by Ethan Cappello
Last but not least, add the finishing touch to your gingerbread house by making a snowman. Use marshmallows and icing to make the body, and add a face using a black sharpie. Next, use a left over orange Mike and Ike for the nose, and an unfolded paper clip for the arms. Feel free to get creative using candy to deck him out (scarf, hat, etc.).
Photo by Ethan Cappello