Two-Story Gingerbread House Template

Two-story house pieces and measurements

The default two-story house is 6 in15.2 cm wide and 4.5 in11.4 cm deep, with 6 in15.2 cm walls, half as tall again as the classic house. It prints 10 patterns for 15 pieces and takes about 2.6 lb (1.2 kg)1.2 kg (2.6 lb) of dough.

The band goes around the house at the floor line. Its front and back strips are longer than the house is wide by twice the dough thickness, so they cover the ends of the side strips at the corners. Turn the band off under Customize size if you prefer plain walls.

How to use the two-story template

1. Choose the size. Tall walls are heavy, so the presets roll thicker dough as the house grows; leave the thickness at the value you will really roll.
2. Print at 100% and measure the check line: 2 inches on Letter, 5 cm on A4. On Letter, the default house fits on one sheet per wall.
3. Roll the dough on parchment and cut the tall walls where they will bake, then pull the extra dough away. Moving a long, soft wall stretches it out of shape.
4. Bake the walls all the way through. Underbaked pieces can warp and bring a house down, and a tall wall shows it first.

How to assemble a two-story gingerbread house

The order is the same as for a one-story house, but tall walls need support for longer. Prop them on the outside while the icing sets and check that the corners stay square.

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 6 mm (about 1/4 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 6 in by 4.5 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. Attach the band around the house at the floor line. Put the side strips on first; the front and back strips cover their ends.
11. Put the chimney together as a box on the work surface: the front and back pieces outside, the short side between them on the uphill end. When it has set, ice it onto the right side of the roof. The slanted bottom edges match the roof pitch.
12. Ice the door to one side of the opening so it stands slightly open.
13. Let the house dry for a few hours or overnight before you decorate.

What you'll need

Keeping tall walls standing

• Thickness matters more on tall walls. Keep them at least 1/4 inch thick, and if anything, roll the walls a little thicker than the roof.
• Give the walls time before the roof goes on: at least an hour, and longer for a heavy roof.
• Turn on Inner brace under Customize size for a wall across the middle of the house. It stands between the side walls and holds up the middle of the roof.
• Build in a dry room. Humidity softens gingerbread and keeps the icing from hardening.

Two rows of windows

Windows sit in two rows, one per floor, and always keep a distance of at least twice the dough thickness from the edges, the door and the band, so the walls don't crack between openings. Set Windows to Lots for three windows upstairs and two beside the door. On a small house, windows that would not fit are left out, and the preview says so.

Two floors of windows look best lit from inside. Once the house is dry, slide a flameless LED tea light or a string of LED fairy lights in through the door, and switch them off when nobody is around.

FAQ