Gingerbread house originated in Germany and has since been a super cute and a fun way to celebrate the Christmas holiday. However, I have found most of them don't last through the holiday without little fingers at play. And, if you are a school teacher, just know that it has already been eaten by the time the kids get home, so parents never get to see it. With that being said, here's how to make a gingerbread house that little ones won't even try to eat.
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Why You'll Love This Craft
- No Mess: Skip the frosting and sprinkles, and focus on building, decorating, and making a festive house.
- Durable Decorations: Use craft materials like paper, foam, and buttons for decorations that will last season after season.
- Perfect for Display: This gingerbread house makes a charming addition to your holiday decor that won’t melt away!
What You Need Additional/Keyword
- Printer
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Pencil
- White paint
- Paint brush
- String
- Red glitter paper
RELATED POST: GINGERBREAD HOUSE ORNAMENT
🖌️ How To Make a Gingerbread House
- Step 1: Begin by printing out your free gingerbread house template. Cut out each piece and set to one side.
- Step 2: Draw around each template on your cardboard and then cut out using the scissors.
- Step 3: Glue the sides and pieces of your house together and leave to set. Next, poke a hole into the roof of your gingerbread house and add string, so your Christmas decoration can be hung on the tree later.
- Step 4: Glue the roof onto the body of the house, followed by the small chimney piece.
Once your house is completed you can decorate as you please.
We chose to use white paint and add a bright red glitter heart on the front of our house ornament.
If you're making these Christmas crafts with preschool or older kids, you may want to provide plenty of different colored paint, and media such as buttons and fabric to encourage the kids to use their imaginations and create their own unique decorations.
This would be a fun classroom craft for the Christmas season and could even make a fantastic homemade Christmas gift idea.
If you liked this craft, don't forget to check out some of our other crafts such as the Gingerbread House Ornament.
💡 Pro Tip: Offering diverse decorations like felt, stickers, or pom-poms makes this activity more engaging for kids.
🧑🎨 Expert Tips for How to Make a Gingerbread House Without Food
- Download and Print Template: Get the free gingerbread house template and print it for easy tracing.
- Trace on Cardboard: Use the printed template to trace pieces onto cardboard, ensuring all parts are cut accurately.
- Assemble the Structure: Glue the cut pieces together to form the house, allowing time for the glue to set well.
- Add a Hanging Loop: Poke a hole in the roof and thread a string through to hang the decoration if desired.
- Attach Chimney for Detail: Glue the chimney onto the roof to enhance the house’s appearance.
- Decorate Creatively: Paint it white, add a glitter heart, and personalize with buttons, fabric, or colored paper.
💭 FAQs
You'll need cardboard, scissors, glue, white paint, a paintbrush, string, red glitter paper, and a printer for the template.
Print the template, trace on cardboard, cut, glue, paint, and decorate with glitter paper.
Yes, it's a fun and simple activity for kids, promoting creativity and fine motor skills.
The complete tutorial is available on the original blog post.
Download Printable
Download your Free Gingerbread House Template here!
How to Make a Gingerbread House Without Food
Equipment
- Scissors
Materials
- Printer
- Cardboard
- Pencil
- White paint
- Paint brush
- String
- Red glitter paper
Instructions
- Begin by printing out your free gingerbread house template.
- Cut out each piece and set it to one side.
- Draw around each template on your cardboard and then cut out using the scissors.
- Glue the sides and pieces of your house together and leave to set.
- Next, poke a hole into the roof of your gingerbread house and add string, so your Christmas decoration can be hung on the tree later.
- Glue the roof onto the body of the house, followed by the small chimney piece.
- Once your house is completed you can decorate as you please.
- We chose to use white paint and add a bright red glitter heart on the front of our house ornament.
- If you’re making these Christmas crafts with preschool or older kids, you may want to provide plenty of different colored paint, and media such as buttons and fabric to encourage the kids to use their imaginations and create their own unique decorations.
- This would be a fun classroom craft for the Christmas season and could even make a fantastic homemade Christmas gift idea.
- If you liked this craft, don’t forget to check out some of our other crafts such as the Gingerbread House Ornament.
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