Gorgeous Gingerbread Houses to Inspire Your Holiday Baking
Decorating gingerbread houses was one of my favorite Christmas traditions as a kid. And since I plan on spending a lot of time inside this winter to avoid the snow and ice, I'm planning to bring the activity back—hopefully with improved decorating skills this time. If decorating these sugary houses is one of the holiday traditions you plan to start with your family this season (or if your kids got hooked on these edible creations after decorating Halloween cookie houses), it's time to grab a gingerbread kit ($10, Target) and start decorating. Or, mix up a batch of gingerbread cookie dough and use our easy tutorial and printable template to assemble your house.
With more than a million posts under #gingerbreadhouse on Instagram, there's no shortage of inspiration out there. And while some kits come with photos of how the house should be decorated, there's no reason you can't get creative and build your own design. To help you get started, we've rounded up our favorite gingerbread houses on Instagram.
Related: How to Decorate Gingerbread Christmas Cookies
Classic Gingerbread
This jaw-dropping gingerbread mansion by Sonja Olsen is the ultimate holiday inspiration. The gingerbread creation is lit from the inside, and features tiny green wreaths and a miniature Christmas tree (decorated with ornaments and lights!) in the window.
Pretty Pastels
Who says you have to stick to the classic brown and white look? This gorgeous three-layer house from Ginger & Spice Cakery features pastel pinks and blues with a few pops of gingerbread peeking through.
Make It Miniature
If making and decorating a large gingerbread house feels like a daunting task, take inspiration from Nat Spencer's minuature creations. Start with a mini gingerbread house kit ($3, Target) and decorate however you like. We love the idea of displaying your small treats on a cake stand (or on top of a festive cake!).
All in the Details
This gorgeous gingerbread creation by Tanner Davies of Bake With Tanner has it all: Gorgeous windows, a tower, and snow-topped trees. Even more impressive than the gingerbread architecture is the intricate icing detail on the roof.
Traditional Touches
This snow-covered house from Sonja Olsen looks like it popped right out of a Christmas movie. With classic swirl designs and pretty frosting icicles, this gingerbread creation is (almost) too pretty to eat.
