Easy Gingerbread House Template

Easy house pieces and measurements

The easy house is 4 in10.2 cm wide, 3 in7.6 cm deep and has 3 in7.6 cm walls under a 45° roof. That is 5 patterns and 7 pieces to cut, about 10 oz (290 g)290 g (10 oz) of dough rolled 4 mm thick.

How to use the easy template

1. Print at 100% and check that the line at the bottom of each sheet measures exactly 2 in5 cm.
2. Cut out the paper patterns; this part is a good job for children with safety scissors.
3. Lay the patterns on the rolled dough and let an adult cut around them with a knife. Lift the extra dough away and leave the pieces where they are, so they keep their shape.
4. Bake, then trim the warm pieces against their patterns so the walls line up.

How to assemble an easy gingerbread house

If children will decorate, build the house the day before. The icing has time to set, and decorating day is only candy.

1. Print the template at 100% (Actual size) and check that the line on each sheet measures exactly 2 in. Cut out the paper pieces.
2. Roll the dough on parchment to 4 mm (about 3/16 in). Lay the patterns on it, cut around them and pull the extra dough away rather than moving the pieces, so they keep their shape.
3. Cut out the windows and the door. Chill the cut pieces on the baking sheet before baking so they spread less.
4. Bake until the pieces are firm. While they are still warm, lay each pattern back on top and trim the edges with a sharp knife. Let the pieces cool completely on a flat surface.
5. Make royal icing with meringue powder or pasteurized egg whites and beat it to stiff peaks. Frosting is too soft to hold up walls.
6. Pipe icing along the bottom and side edges of the front wall and one side wall. Stand them on the board at a right angle, with the end of the side wall tucked behind the front wall. Prop them with cans or jars.
7. Add the second side wall, then the back wall. The side walls fit between the front and back walls, so the house measures exactly 4 in by 3 in on the outside.
8. Let the walls set for at least 30 minutes, an hour if you can, before the roof goes on.
9. Pipe icing on the sloped edges of the front and back walls and the tops of the side walls. Press on one roof panel, then the other, and hold them in place for a minute. The panels meet at their bottom edges, so fill the small V-shaped gap along the ridge with icing.
10. Ice the door to one side of the opening so it stands slightly open.
11. Let the house dry for a few hours or overnight before you decorate.

What you'll need

Tips for building with kids

• Glue the walls with royal icing, not frosting. Frosting stays soft, and the walls slide apart.
• Make the icing with meringue powder or pasteurized egg whites. Children will lick their fingers, and raw egg whites can carry Salmonella.
• Prop the walls with cans or jars while they set. Cans hold still for as long as it takes; small hands don't.
• Put out bowls of brightly colored candy and let the children cover the roof. Shingles of candy also hide a wobbly icing line.

What makes this template easy

Every part that takes extra cutting or extra hands is left out: no chimney, no windows and a small size, so the walls are light and stand up quickly. What remains is a front wall with a door, a back wall, two side walls and two roof panels.

When the first house works, open Customize size and add windows or a chimney, or try the A-frame, which has only four patterns. If you want to skip baking altogether, a ready-made kit house or graham crackers glued with royal icing work too.

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