Gingerbread House Masterpiece

Here is what I did for every spare minute of 5 days last week. It turns out better every year and I learn something that will help me the next time. Maybe when I'm 65 I will be a master at gingerbread house making!

Step one: design the house and measure and cut panels out of manila folders, and line them with foil. Fun.

Step Two: make the gingerbread dough and roll out the panels (I loathe this step, its no fun, lots of work)

Step 3: make brown royal icing, decorate the 1st story panels (fun but takes a while, this is art) and build 1st story

Step 4: Furnish the 1st story (the funnest part)

I filled those little jars, so cute. I also made stairs this year out of foam board, not pictured

Step five: measure and cut the ceiling/floor out of white foam board, tape lights to it and install with royal icing

Step 6: Decorate 2nd story panels and set up (tedious to balance)

Step 7: furnish interior of 2nd story, and add candy trim to cover seams. fun fun fun.

Little bathroom is so cute, and detail of holly berries. That is Fiora's eye in the window

Step eight: measure and cut the roof, tape lights to it and glue it down with icing. then make lots of white royal icing, and ice the roof, and make icesicles. (This picture's obviously skipping ahead because the yard and porch are done.)

Step 9: set up the chimney and frost/decorate the yard and porch (see previous picture)

Step 10: light it up and enjoy it! All done

The inside is the cutest, come see it!