Tips on assembling and decorating a Gingerbread House

Published: 12/12/2016

Assembling and decorating a gingerbread house is a great way to embrace the festivities and will result in a lovely Christmas decoration for your home. To give some honest advice on assembling and decorating a gingerbread house we had a go at making one ourselves and it's fair to say that it didn't exactly go to plan. However, hopefully you can gain some tips from our mistakes when it comes to making yours. We also challenged five other bloggers to make a gingerbread house - we sent them everything they would need including the same kit which we used. So we're looking forward to seeing their gingerbread houses over the next couple of weeks! If you've recently made a Gingerbread House then tweet us an image plus your tips @TigerSheds #TigerGingerbreadChallenge.

Pick the right kit. 

We picked our gingerbread house kit from IKEA for only £2.45. As you can see it comes with all the separate components pre-made, with windows and a lovely decorative design on the roof. For the price, we think this kit is perfect! Especially if you're worried about it going wrong - you don't want to spend a lot of money on something for it then to fall to pieces. If you would like to purchase this kit then you can buy it in-store from your local IKEA. 

Make your icing sugar as thick as possible, almost so you can't stir it - we actually made ours too runny at first!

So this image is the perfect example of what we did wrong - to begin with. We made the icing sugar very runny and then used a spoon or knife to put it around the edges. You need to make sure that the icing sugar is as thick as possible, almost so you struggle to stir it. Otherwise it will just drip and run everywhere just like ours did! The icing sugar which we used for our gingerbread house was Sainsbury's British Icing Sugar.

ALWAYS use a piping bag. 

We only started to use a piping bag mid-way through assembling our gingerbread house, as we realised it was very difficult gaining control of the icing sugar with just a spoon or knife. Right away we found it much easier and much more controlled.

Don't press down too hard or too light, you need it to stick but not break. 

When you first start assembling the gingerbread house you may feel worried about breaking the gingerbread, but it's a lot harder than you think. It's really important to ensure that the icing sugar sticks properly to each of the components before it sets, so make sure you push relatively hard so it does.

Don't worry about it looking a little messy - that's the fun of it!

The majority of people making gingerbread houses at home won't be experts, and clearly neither are we, but that's OK. The most important thing is to have some fun with it. Also, piping letters is a lot harder than it looks...

Once you're done, place it somewhere in your home where everyone will be able to see it. 

Unless you're planning on eating your gingerbread house right away, once you've finished your masterpiece it's time to find the perfect spot for it. Consider putting it somewhere relatively high up so small children or animals can't reach it, but also somewhere on show so that people can easily notice it. Tweet us your gingerbread house and tips @TigerSheds #TigerGingerbreadChallenge. 

Additional Christmas Decor Inspiration from Experts! 

If any of you reading this blog post are looking for some creative ways to give your Christmas decor some originality then check out these expert tips! Ashley Paul, Owner of Stella Interiors LLC, says; ''Garlands looks effortlessly beautiful draped across railings or fences. I have used fresh garland before and it is so nice for a holiday aroma. You can also use faux wired garland and add fresh greenery such as cedar, pine, or spruce for a layered look and a more cost-effective option!'' Arash Khurana, founder/director of Spiffy Spools, says; ''Bring out all your holiday cards - old and new - and create a holiday card gallery on a wall. Not only do they make a room festive but also make me appreciate all the friends and family I've got to be thankful about this holiday season.'' Jeffrey Welder, Interior Design Expert behind Vänt Wall Panels, says; ''Don’t Forget the Door. There’s one thing we all have—and that’s a door. When space is limited indoors, take the holiday decorating outdoors. Glam up your door with real greenery like a wreath. Add bells, pinecones, and ribbons to evoke the holiday feel. You can also add a string of lights around the door for additional festive flair.'