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Frugal Fun: Building a Gingerbread House from Scratch

little girl decorating a gingerbread house

Are you looking for something fun to do with your family during the holidays that doesn’t cost much money? I know I am. Going figure skating will set us back $30, and even going to a new local museum costs $15. But for around $5 you can all help build a unique gingerbread house masterpiece… and you even get to eat it!

Last year I scoured the web for directions on baking, constructing and decorating a gingerbread house from scratch. Not surprisingly, it was difficult to find a realistic and comprehensive guide. 🙁 Then I stumbled upon King Arthur Flour’s Building A Gingerbread House guide and it was just what I was looking for!

gingerbread house recipe

The 14-page guide contained everything I needed – recipes for the gingerbread and icing, a template for cutting out the pieces, decorating suggestions and more. I was pleased with how everything turned out so I am using it again this year.

girl posing with gingerbread house

What I liked most about this project is that everyone in the family has a special role to play. I assembled the ingredients and baked the pieces for the house, Daddy assembled it with his construction and engineering expertise (which was needed because the roof pieces didn’t quite fit together!) and our two-year-old was in charge of decorating. I think she did a great job!

gingerbread house

While our house certainly isn’t going to win any competitions (and isn’t very Pinterest-worthy), we all contributed and totally created it ourselves. Most importantly, we had fun together and created memories in the process. The look of pride on my little one’s face was priceless… and the total cost for the ingredients and decorations was about $5.

Have you ever made a gingerbread house from scratch? Share any tips in the comments below!

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