https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 05 May 2026 06:39:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920949 Wed, 18 Nov 2020 16:51:00 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2920949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: I'm all on in as much DIY as possible (though I'm not sure I want to bake and cut walls myself)! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920944 Wed, 18 Nov 2020 14:14:34 +0000 bhbee 2920944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Carrot: in my opinion the walls are basically never worth eating, but I always buy a bunch of candy in addition to whatever may come in the set. Colorful, tasty, fun shape, etc (m&amp;ms, red hots, holiday dots, spice drops, twizzlers, you name it - and I was able to get them all through target pickup this year!). Pretzel sticks make fun paths. I usually put down a disposable tablecloth to catch all the mess. </p> <p>I always buy kits for the walls but put them together myself (you can also make them easily with Graham crackers, just google instructions). Sometimes simple is best! I think it’s fun to make your own white Royal icing - as long as you have a mixer, it’s easy and then you don’t have to use whatever piping bag it came with except where you want to - you can just use a butter knife if that’s easier, and it’s really fun to put “snow” all over your base. I don’t worry much about what the icing looks like and just add candy on top anyway! I think it’s a good idea to build the house one day after dinner, let it set up overnight so the icing is really hard, then decorate the next day. If you don’t make your own icing but need some extra, I’ve also had good luck with the Betty Crocker cookie icing bags (found them at Kroger). I bought those when we had a gingerbread party and all the 7-8 year olds used them no problem. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920943 Wed, 18 Nov 2020 13:38:58 +0000 Chuckles 2920943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Carrot: I will say that we only buy the premade ones now. Several years ago we bought a kit that came with the walls prebaked, but you had to use the frosting to actually build the house. Maybe it just wasn't a great kit, but DH, an architect, and our friend, an engineer, had trouble getting them to stay up :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920942 Wed, 18 Nov 2020 12:58:29 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2920942@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've actually never made one and would really love to try it this year. What are the must-have supplies/instructions, especially if you do like to eat them/snack as you go? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920897 Tue, 17 Nov 2020 10:08:41 +0000 JennyPenny 2920897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I intend for it to be just decorative but the kids definitely sneak candies off of it. I remember doing the same when I was a kid so I don't mind too much. Right now we do the store bought ones, but once my kids are a bit older I'd like to involve them in baking and building the gingerbread too. Actually, maybe we will this year because most of our other holiday activities are going to be cancelled... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920896 Tue, 17 Nov 2020 09:51:09 +0000 bhbee 2920896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chuckles: my kids also just enjoy making it collapse - a little less messy so you can do it on a sheet pan </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920894 Tue, 17 Nov 2020 09:32:07 +0000 Chuckles 2920894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@AB810: and @bhbee: I love the idea of smashing the gingerbread house! We'll have to figure out the logistics because it's way too cold here after Christmas to be snacking outside.<br /> Usually ours sits out for at least a month while DS picks at the candy for dessert after dinner. At some point, I declare that it's too stale and we toss it. Since we use premade kits, the cookie and frosting part are pretty inedible right from the start. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920893 Tue, 17 Nov 2020 08:59:46 +0000 Mommy Finger 2920893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@AB810: This is a dynamite idea and I'm totally stealing it!</p> <p>I never ate them. The cookies always seemed so hard and unappealing. Then I worked for Wilton for two years and found out that their kits were all baked at least a year before they were sold and stored in a warehouse. That just seemed not right to me. They shouldn't still be edible that far after being baked.</p> <p>I should note that I'm not creative to make them on my own with graham crackers and the like but still, after they're made, that would be a hard pass for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920890 Mon, 16 Nov 2020 22:43:07 +0000 MountainBaby 2920890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We for sure snack while decorating, but once it's been sitting out no. Also all the pieces have had little kid fingers all over them, verses sampling from the supply bowl - pass. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920889 Mon, 16 Nov 2020 22:40:05 +0000 AB810 2920889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: we smash ours with a hammer or mallet every year the day after Christmas! My kids LOVE it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920887 Mon, 16 Nov 2020 22:11:51 +0000 bhbee 2920887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We’ve gotten pretty into them! In the past year we did peep houses near easter (I think with Graham crackers?), Halloween houses from target and I have Christmas ones from target waiting for thanksgiving break. Something fun when staying home! Oh and pre covid, my oldest had a winter fairy house decorating bday party - I made those with Graham crackers. So yeah I guess I have a problem :silly: </p> <p>My kids always sneak candy while decorating and randomly once they are displayed. Then we always have a “demo day” (super fun!) at the end of the season where they eat the least stale candy off it, any cookie part is gross by then. Most of the candy is pretty stale so no one goes crazy. My mom let them go outside with a hammer once to do it and they were in heaven. Edible crafts are the best! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920886 Mon, 16 Nov 2020 21:57:59 +0000 PinkElephant 2920886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a plastic house base, and we eat as we decorate....my kids definitely sneak candy off of it later and don’t care how stale it is! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/just-for-fun-gingerbread-houses#post-2920885 Mon, 16 Nov 2020 21:53:45 +0000 meadow 2920885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you make Gingerbread houses with your children, do you eat them afterward?</p> <p>(I am using the term gingerbread house loosely here...For example, I just saw a tutorial on making one out of poptarts...that kind of variation is totally fair game in this poll :-p ) </p>