Our architects don’t often get to apply their skill sets to designing houses made of cookies, candy, and icing, so we’ve taken is upon ourselves to find the best tips and tricks, so our architects can show off their design skills all season long!
MATERIALS, PLANNING, DESIGNING, & MORE!
Materials – Selecting the right materials is an important first step. Use thick gingerbread panels for walls and ceilings. The thicker the panels, the sturdier your house will be. To keep your house together you will want to use the stickiest, most glue-like icing you can find, like this one!
Plan – Try sketching out your house plans before you start putting up walls, make sure your plan is feasible! Don’t forget to plan for your landscaping, you’ll need room for trees, a sidewalk, snowmen, and more! When you start constructing, make sure your house’s corners are square and the ceiling is centered, this will make your house even sturdier.
Design – And now for the fun part! Use any and every edible material you can find to bring your gingerbread house to life. Old cereal? Leftover Halloween candy? Stale marshmallows? All great gingerbread house décor! Use Necco® wafers to build the perfect pastel path leading to the front door, Tootsie Rolls® to build a stack of firewood, gumdrops and M&Ms® for rooftop decorations, and so much more!
WHO CAME UP WITH THIS GINGERBREAD HOUSE IDEA ANYWAY?
While gingerbread dates all the way back to 2400 B.C., no one thought to construct houses out of the yummy treats until the 16th century. The Christmas tradition first began in Germany. It became popular when the Brothers Grimm wrote Hansel and Gretel, the famous fairy tale where two young children stumble upon a house in the woods constructed entirely of sweet treats.
CAN YOU COMPETE WITH THE PROFESSIONALS?
In 2013, the Traditions Club, near College Station, Texas, constructed a gingerbread house that measured nearly 40,000 cubic feet, setting the Guinness World Record for largest gingerbread house. This massive creation measured 60 by 42 feet and stood 20 feet tall. The combined ingredients for the sweet suite totaled over 36 million calories, that’s equal to the amount of calories the average American would consume over a 35 year period!
Need inspiration to get motivated and create a gingerbread house masterpiece of your own? Check out these amazing creations!
Creating some gingerbread houses of your own this holiday season? Share your photos with us on Facebook and Twitter!