If you love all things gingerbread, then you will love this fun craft for making and decorating your own gingerbread house using my gingerbread pattern printable!
Looking for more fun Christmas baking activities? Try some of my favorite Christmas cookies:
- Blue Ribbon Ginger Snaps: Perfectly spiced with a satisfying snap.
- Festive Biscochitos: A holiday classic with a hint of anise.
- Soft Molasses Cookies: The ultimate Christmas treat!
- Perfect Snickerdoodles: Chewy middles with crispy edges.
Be sure to save this Royal Icing Recipe if you plan to make and decorate a gingerbread house!
In my bakery, gingerbread was a staple of the season, and I loved creating gingerbread cookies and houses to share with family and friends. If you're as passionate about holiday baking as I am, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here.
Want to skip the house and just offer gingerbread cookies? This recipe works perfectly for that too!
Free Gingerbread Pattern Printable for Your Holiday Baking
Whether you're crafting a classic gingerbread house or making a batch of gingerbread people, these free printables make it easy to create perfect holiday treats.
- Gingerbread House Template: Build a stunning gingerbread house with this free printable template. It includes all the pieces you need to create a holiday masterpiece.
- Gingerbread People Templates: Want to create a family of gingerbread men and gingerbread women? This template is perfect for decorating your house or as a standalone Christmas activity.
Printing Tips:
- For a sturdy and reusable template, print on white cardstock to make sure your designs hold up while tracing and cutting.
- If you don't have cardstock, you can print it on white paper and trace the designs onto recycled brown paper bags.
Download your free gingerbread templates by scrolling to the bottom of this post and clicking the pdf file digital download link.
A Simple and Fun Gingerbread House Recipe
Sometimes Christmas crafts can get a little overwhelming. That's why I like to break it down into simple steps. When you do, it's actually quite easy! The process involves mixing a spiced gingerbread dough, rolling it out, and using the free template to cut out the walls, roof, and other elements. Once baked, the pieces come together with royal icing to form a sturdy structure that you can decorate to your heart's content.
3 Tips for Success
- Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough before rolling it out helps it firm up, making it easier to cut precise shapes. This also ensures that the shapes hold their form while baking.
- Use Royal Icing for Assembly: Royal icing acts as a strong glue to hold the house together. Allow each part to set before moving on to the next, ensuring a stable and secure structure.
- Decorate Creatively: Get creative with your decorations. Use a variety of candies, small gingerbread men, and icing to add personality to your house. Consider adding windows, doors, and other fun details to make it truly unique.
Tips for Making Your Gingerbread House
Rolling the Dough
Rolling out the dough evenly is crucial for a sturdy gingerbread house. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- Use Rolling Strips: My favorite rolling strips help achieve a perfectly even thickness, ensuring that all parts of your house are uniform. This prevents weak spots and makes assembly easier.
- Use Parchment Paper or Wax Paper: Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper or wax paper before rolling it out. This prevents sticking and makes it easier to achieve an even thickness.
- Roll Slowly: Apply steady, even pressure as you roll. If the dough starts to crack, let it sit for a minute or two to warm up slightly before continuing.
Cutting the Templates
Cutting the dough precisely is key to a well-fitting gingerbread house. Here’s how to do it right:
- Chill Before Cutting: After rolling out the dough, place it in the fridge for a few minutes. Chilled dough is firmer and holds its shape better when cutting.
- Use a Sharp Knife or Pizza Cutter: Carefully cut around the gingerbread templates with a sharp knife or pizza cutter for clean edges. For intricate details, a small paring knife works best.
- Lift the Template: Gently lift the template away from the dough after cutting. If any edges stick, use the knife to carefully separate them.
Transferring to the Baking Sheet
Moving the cut dough to the baking sheet without distorting the shapes can be tricky. Here’s what works:
- Use a Spatula: After cutting, use a flat spatula to lift the dough pieces onto the baking sheet. This helps keep the shapes intact.
- Space Out the Pieces: Leave enough space between each piece on the baking sheet. Gingerbread dough can expand slightly during baking, so you want to avoid pieces touching.
Baking the Gingerbread
Baking the gingerbread is where everything comes together. Here’s how to ensure your pieces bake perfectly:
- Bake Evenly: If possible, bake all the pieces on the same rack in the oven to ensure they cook evenly. If you need to use multiple racks, rotate them halfway through baking.
- Watch the Edges: The edges of the gingerbread should be firm to the touch and slightly darker than the rest. This indicates they’re done and will be strong enough for construction.
- Use a Fondant Smoother: Immediately after baking, gently press a fondant smoother over the gingerbread pieces while they’re still warm. This helps level the pieces and ensures they fit together perfectly.
- Cool Completely: Let the gingerbread pieces cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them to a rack. This helps them firm up and prevents breakage.
Timing and Planning Your Gingerbread House
Breaking the gingerbread house process into manageable steps over a few days makes it an enjoyable and stress-free project. Here’s how you can plan it:
- Day 1: Mix the Dough: Prepare your gingerbread dough and chill it overnight. This gives the dough time to rest, making it easier to roll out and cut the next day.
- Day 2: Cut and Bake: Roll out the dough, cut out your templates, and bake the pieces. Once they’ve cooled, you can even start assembling the house if you like.
- Day 3: Assemble and Decorate: This is the fun part! Spend the day assembling your house and decorating it with icing and candy.
Scalability Tip: This recipe is scalable and can easily be tripled for mass production if you’re making multiple gingerbread houses or selling DIY kits.
Tips for Decorating Your Gingerbread House and People
Use our free gingerbread man template, gingerbread woman template, and gingerbread house template to ensure all your pieces are perfectly shaped. Print the printable PDFs on white paper or trace them onto brown paper for an easy DIY template.
Click here for my favorite Royal Icing Recipe. It's perfect for "gluing" the pieces together because it dried quickly!
Classic Gingerbread House Decoration
- Icing "Snow": White royal icing is piped on the roof and edges to look like snow.
- Candy Roof: Use gumdrops, peppermints, or mini chocolates in rows on the roof.
- Gumdrop Pathway: Create a path to the door with gumdrops lined up in icing.
- Window and Door: Outline windows and the door with icing, and add a candy wreath.
- Candy Cane Columns: Place mini candy canes at the corners or beside the door.
- Sprinkle Snow: Add white sprinkles or shredded coconut for extra snow.
Classic Gingerbread People Decoration
Gingerbread Man:
- Eyes: Small dots of white or black icing.
- Mouth: A simple smile made with red or white icing.
- Buttons: Three buttons down the chest, made with small candies or icing dots.
- Bow Tie: A small bow tie made from icing or candy.
Gingerbread Woman:
- Eyes: Small dots of white or black icing.
- Mouth: A simple smile, sometimes with a hint of red icing for lipstick.
- Dress: Outlined with white icing, often with a scalloped edge.
- Buttons or Necklace: Three icing dots or small candies down the front.
DIY Gingerbread House Kits
If you’re planning to sell gingerbread house kits, here’s how to package them beautifully:
- Package the Pieces: Carefully place the baked gingerbread house pieces in a sturdy box lined with parchment paper to prevent breakage.
- Include Decorations: Add small packets of candy, royal icing mix, and other decorations into the box. Consider adding a few small gingerbread men using the free printable gingerbread man templates for extra fun.
- Provide Instructions: Print out a copy of the assembly instructions and include it in the kit. You might also consider including a gingerbread man outline or gingerbread coloring pages for kids to color while grown-ups prepare the craft!
- Label and Sell: Seal the kit and label it with festive gift tags. These kits make a great gift for the Christmas season and are perfect for holiday parties!
More Creative Projects
Want to skip the house and just offer gingerbread cookies? Check out the free printable gingerbread man templates for easy-to-use designs. These cookies are a great Christmas activity for the whole family and make for fun holiday crafts or creative projects with kids.
The blank gingerbread man template gives you creative freedom to decorate gingerbread man cookies however you wish!
Classic Gingerbread House Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Rolling pin with rolling strips
- Parchment paper or wax paper
- Baking trays
- Gingerbread House Template (Printable PDF)
- Sharp knife or pizza cutter
- Cooling racks
- Fondant smoother (optional)
- Piping bags or ziplock bags for icing
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour 17 ounces
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup packed brown sugar 4 ounces
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 ½ tablespoon water
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In another bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, molasses, and water, and mix until fully combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until a dough forms.
- Chill and Roll: Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in parchment paper, and chill for at least an hour. Once chilled, roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thickness using rolling strips to ensure evenness.
- Cut and Bake: Using the printable gingerbread house template, cut out the shapes for the walls, roof, and additional elements. Transfer to parchment-lined baking trays and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are firm. (smaller pieces will bake faster than larger ones.) Optional-While the pieces are still warm, gently press a fondant smoother over them to level. Let cool completely on cooling racks.
- Assemble: Prepare a batch of royal icing and use it to glue the house together. Start with the walls, allowing them to set before adding the roof.
- Decorate: Once the house is fully assembled and stable, decorate with icing and candy.
Free Gingerbread Pattern Printables
At my house, we love decorating gingerbread together. It's a fun Christmas activity that everyone gets into and enjoys! If you don't have time for the full gingerbread house, then everyone can decorate their own gingerbread man. It's such a fun activity for a Christmas party!
Please note that these files require a PDF reader to open and are intended for personal use only, not for commercial use.
Click here for free gingerbread man templates. (Contains 2 gingerbread man shapes)
Click here for the free medium size gingerbread house template. (Contains 5 gingerbread house shapes)
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