Hi there!
I am so happy to see how excited you are about the giveaway sponsored by KitchenAid and Sweetopia and going on right now, to win 2 (Yup, that’s two of them – yay!) beautiful, 7-quart KitchenAid mixers.
One or two of you – depending on which number gets picked – are going to win, and I can’t wait to play the Sweetopia Santa Claus in a few days. The last time I gave a few mixers away, one lovely winner cried when I chatted with her on the phone (we connected through email first), and it was such a lovely, lovely feeling to make someone so happy that they burst into joyful tears!
If you’d like to find out how to enter the giveaway, which is on until 12:01 am EST on Monday, December 19th, 2011, you can find it by clicking here.
I sincerely wish somehow everyone could have one, but as that’s just not possible, how about we console ourselves with a little bit of candy and Gingerbread Fun!
Here’s a little video on how I made the gingerbread house above, and below the video you’ll find all the information you’ll need to know to make a house of your own.
If you can’t see the video, click here.
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Gingerbread House Template {Free Printable}
I’ve got a list of everything you’ll need to make a gingerbread house and a free, printable gingerbread house template here for you – just click on the link here so you can print a full copy.
Making a Gingerbread House
If you’d like to make a gingerbread house here are the other things you’ll need:
- Gingerbread Recipe
- Royal Icing Recipe
- Piping Bag
- Coupler
- #10, #16, #2 Piping Tips
- Tweezers, toothpicks, scissors, paring knife & a damp cloth
- Turntable (optional)
- Candy!
Lots and lots of…
ahem, candy.
In case you missed it, you can watch the video above to see how to ‘glue’ the pieces of a house together and how to decorate a gingerbread house (like the pink one above).
There’s something so magical about making gingerbread houses, and although it takes a little bit of effort to make the pieces and the icing, with a few tips and tricks, the process is much easier, and the sweet, sweet result (pun intended), is so worth the effort. I delivered a few of the houses I made (pictured here) this week, and seeing people’s faces when you hand them their treat is such a wonderful feeling! Never mind how much fun it can be to make a gingerbread house with kids! Our H-banana and her cousin will be decorating their houses this weekend. I’ll share some pics on Instagram/Twitter if you’d like to see some candy fun. I’d also love to see what you’re up to for Christmas if you’d like to share on my Facebook page or on twitter.
Wishing you lots of love and gingerbreading fun this holiday season!
xo,
Marian
Cupcakeluver says
SO CUTE!
Jackie says
Your gingerbread houses are just amazing! Thanks for the video and the template.
Josie says
Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you so much for the video and templates! 😀 May I ask where you get your candies from?
Cynthia Arias The Coookie Jar says
Waauuu A-MA-ZING! thanks for sharing such a wonderful video 😀
Aimee @ Simple Bites says
What a resource! Thank you, Marian, and Happy Holidays to all of you!
Ingrid Urena says
OMG. Just looking at you makes me want to do a gingerbread house!!!! I thinks its an awfully hard task, but you make it look so easy! And theres a store called “Sugar” near my house, with lots of different shaped candy.. so you see, its such my need to make a gingerbread house now that I even recall that store on which I have never bought a thing… You’re such an inspiration!
Laura says
Wow, your friends who got these are very lucky. They are all stunning. Such a lot of great information in your post too. Enjoy decorating with the kids.
Melissa says
Wow! These are amazing! Love the video too! Thanks for sharing the templates, I think I am going to give it a try. In all honesty, how many hours in total did it take you to decorate those beautiful houses? You are very dedicated. They are beautiful!
sandy says
OMG just loved the video! Thanks for the resources and templates!
Taresa says
As always your creations are absolutely beautiful!! Hope you have a great holiday!
Sandy says
These gingrbread houses are seriously the cutest thngs EVER!!!!
Jen McMenamin says
Many, many thanks from all of the geometrically challenged too afraid to wing it! Happy holidays to all!
Stephanie says
Id love to win the mixer and I just love the gingerbread houses………and now off topic. I just made your sugar cookies. Those are probably the best I have eaten. I did put the baking powder in there before reading that you omit it now, and since I live in Louisiana and it’s hot here tonight they puffed up and spread a bit more than they would have had I left it out. Thanks for the great recipe.
Lyndsay says
Absolutely enjoyable!
Iris says
I just love all the wonderful candies you have available for your art. I live in the country and believe me, there is nothing like this to be found. Would you happen to have a dealer online that I haven’t discovered yet and if so, would you post a link?
thanks for sharing your beauties and Merry Christmas to everyone
Joy says
Thank you sooo much for the information. I made my first Gingerbread House from scratch this year, and it was frustrating as you said because I didn’t know where to start. I will share some pictures later on this week on your facebook page. But next year, I’m doing Sweetopia Houses :!) You are amazing!
Marcela says
Amazing! So cute! I love them! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes, I will be making gingerbread houses this weekend and next week and this information is really precious.
Joanie K. says
Absolutely fabulous! Love the video too! Can’t wait to show it to my family! You are such an inspiration! Thank you for sharing!
Lightleaf Studio says
omg, you’re the best ever ! And all those candy. Your houses are so lovely.
cris says
Que cosas mas lindas eres especial lo haces todo con tanto amor. Muchisimas gracias por compartir con nosotr@s tus trabajos. Feliz Navidad.
Veronica diaz says
Thanks for this post, i tried a couple of weeks ago to do my first gingerbread house but it was a disaster, but with your posts i will try again and i am sure the result will be good, thanks for sharing. And one more time thanks for the fabulous giveaway.
marian says
@ Josie, @ Iris: I bought the candy from my local Bulk Barn, supermarket and a store called Old Time Confections. Here’s a link to a photo I took while I was in there – http://followgram.me/sweetopianet/324046516_10940469
and a link to their site:
http://www.oldtimeconfections.com/pages.php?pID=23
Have fun!
@ Ingrid Urena: Would love to see the house you make if you’d like to share!
@ Laura: Thanks, it’s what I’m looking forward to most this weekend.
@ Melissa: I think making the video took the longest for a newbie like me. 😉 Decorating the houses – I would say each one took about an hour. Towards the last house I was faster because I kind of knew what design I wanted to make, but in the beginning I was fiddling around with different candies etc. so it took for sure about an hour. Making the dough, the icing, the pieces, ‘gluing’ them together, I did over a period of 4 days. I’m sure you could do it faster if you’re on holiday (soon, for you! {us}), but I started the project during the week while I was working. Putting them together and decorating took up most of my weekend for sure. Hope that helps and have a great last week!
@ Stephanie: Yay! I’m so glad you liked the sugar cookie recipe! It is a moist dough, so these tips also help with spreading: https://sweetopia.net/2011/04/top-8-tips-on-preventing-cookies-from-spreading/
Thanks for your comments everyone! xo
Jennifer Ferrell says
Thank you so much for more fabulous photos for inspiration! And the templates too!
Kindest regards,
Jennifer
Caroline_GoodCupcakesGood says
Wow! I LOVE your gingerbread houses! WOW!
vaso says
Amazing!! Tomorrow i am waiting in my house my friends with seven kids to make gingerbread houses!!!!!!!thanks for all ideas.
Monique says
Your houses are so beautiful. We made ours already for this year but you have inspired me to go search out different candy for next year. Also the template will certainly come in handy, my hand drawn one was a mess.
Stephanie Nelson says
Amy Rouse told me to visit this website and enter. I’m glad she did. I love the gingerbread houses and my daughter really wants this stand mixer (.the red one)
Maria says
omg… you’re awesome Marian… I love your speed in decorating the house ha ha… I love your talents.
Merry Christmas to you and have fun doing your blog.
ML
bridget {bake at 350} says
Marian! That was so inspiring! I think your gingerbread houses are so beautiful! Thanks for all of the tips and templates!
Geena says
So adorable! If I make one batch of the gingerbread cookie recipe and one batch of the royal icing for gingerbread houses, will that be enough to make ONE gingerbread house? Thanks~
marian says
@ Geena: Oh, no, oops I forgot to mention that… One batch will definitely do more than one house, for the icing. The icing recipe will make about 3-4 houses, depending on how much icing you slather on. (I used lots).
One batch of gingerbread will make one house, yes. (You’ll have a little dough left over for cookies).
Thanks for your comments everyone!
Mel Edwards says
I loved watching the house come together in high speed – fantastic!!
Off topic – where did you find that gorgeous ribbon cake stand??
Trina says
OMG!!! These houses are such an inspiration! If only we had a candy store like that here in Australia!!! 🙁
Gopal Iyer says
Thanks for the video. The gingerbread house looks awesome.
Geena says
@ marian:
Thanks~ I’m going to try and make one this week. I wanted to make a pink gingerbread house but I couldn’t find enough pink candy~ 🙂 so red, white and green it will be!
Candace says
Love your gingerbread houses and your video. Planning to make a few with the kids this week. But wondering..how many does one recipe make?
Happy Holidays! 🙂
marian says
@ Mel Edwards: Thanks! I found it at a bakery which sells adorable cake stands too. It’s called Holly’s Sweets & Eats. You might have to call them because they don’t sell on-line. http://www.hollyssweetsandeats.com/
@ Geena: Would LOVE to see it if you’d like to share on my Facebook page!
@ Candace: One gingerbread recipe makes enough for one house.
Thanks for dropping by and Happy Holidays to all of you!
CuteEverything says
Wonderful video! Great job, Marian! I posted it on my site:
http://cuteeverything.com/cute/winter/video-make-a-gingerbread-house/
Melanie says
I’m living in Japan right now, and during the Christmas season I love baking cookies for my students, and sometimes cake! A Kitchen Aid mixer would be great to have here and make life so much more easier!!
Jamie Harrison says
Awesome giveaway! I hope I win! 🙂
nikki says
Marian I’m thrilled you posted this and am contemplating making one this Christmas if I get the time!! I was wondering though do you eat these ( don’t think I could bring myself to wreck something as gorgeous as this!) and if not how long will they last?
Marian (Sweetopia) says
@ CuteEverything: Thank you!
@ Melanie, @ Jamie Harrison: 🙂
@ nikki: Absolutely, eating them is the second best part! (Decorating is the best). The only ones I usually eat are the ones I give my family. We pick on the candy and then when the house is left, use a knife to cut pieces off here and there. The gingerbread is harder by then, but it’s still tasty and fun!
Geena Lee says
Thanks for your recipe and tutorial. I finished my gingerbread house yesterday and put a pic up on your Facebook. The gingerbread was really yummy and I had plenty of dough to make a bunch of gingerbread men. Thanks again for your great tips, they were extremely helpful for a newbie like me 🙂
nikki says
Thanks Marian….. I think my kids would argue that the eating is the first best part and the making second!! I’m with you though! Merry Christmas.
marian says
@ Geena Lee: Oh that one is yours – so nice to put your ‘face’/name to the photo 😉 You did an absolutely awesome job on your house! It’s so cute! I love how you put icicles on the wreath. Nice touch.
@ nikki: Thanks, Merry Christmas to you too.
Vanessa says
Hi Marian,
Your gingerbread houses are so beautiful! I’ve never made one before, but I am definitely going to try it out before Christmas using your template. I was just wondering if I should roll the dough out to the same thickness as if I was making cookies (1/4 inch thick)? Or is the thickness different for the gingerbread house pieces? Thanks!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ Vanessa: Absolutely, I rolled mine 1/4 of an inch thick, and left the baking powder in the recipe I used, so the walls puffed up a bit. Happy ginger breading!
Sandra says
Super!!!!!!!