Easy DIY Gingerbread House with Graham Cracker
A Fun Way to Build a Holiday Tradition with the Whole Family – Easy DIY Gingerbread House with Graham Cracker
Gingerbread house building is one of our favorite things to do each Christmas. Last year, we skipped the traditional gingerbread houses and created our own gingerbread house designs using graham crackers, and it was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday tradition. These little graham cracker houses are simple, frugal, and so much fun for little kids and younger kids!
Whether you’re hosting a decorating party, planning a craft for a class, or just building a holiday house with your own children, this version is easy to assemble, uses common grocery store ingredients, and allows everyone to personalize their base of the house.
Enjoy 12 Days of Christmas Homemaking to insure you all Christmas!
Easy DIY Gingerbread House with Graham Cracker
After years of experience trying to assemble those traditional gingerbread houses from expensive kits, I discovered that they’re a lot of work for not a lot of fun. They usually end in frustration, a collapsed roof, and disappointed little faces.
Using full graham cracker pieces and basic supplies like icing and candy decorations changes the game. Everyone gets their own gingerbread house, and you get a joyful experience, not a stressful one.
It’s become a family tradition we look forward to every year. One thing I have learned about making gingerbread houses with my children is that they are messy! You will never have a perfect house turn out. We have tried a few different ways of making them and each way is just messy. This is a project that you have to just enjoy the process and the mess. There will be sticky icing fingers and kids begging to eat the candy. All of it is just making memories. Enjoy the process and let go of perfection!
This is by far the easiest way to make gingerbread houses! This way each of my 4 children gets to make their own house and design it the way they want. We have done the $10 kits before and we always have to make the house together because I am not spending $40 on kits. This project is under $10 total and works great for a group of kids. It would be perfect for a children’s Christmas party craft!
Supplies You’ll Need from the Grocery Store
You can find all of these ingredients and tools easily at your local grocery store or online:
- 1 box full graham crackers
- Royal icing recipes made with egg whites or meringue powder
- Ziploc bags or a pastry bag for piping
- Assorted candy decorations (think gum drops, gummy bears, hard candies, mini marshmallows)
- Muffin tins to sort candies
- Sturdy paper plate or piece of cardboard for the base
- Serrated knife and cutting board for trimming
- Optional: milk cartons or hot glue gun for extra structure
- Wax paper to protect your surface
- Optional: ice cream cones for trees
How to Prep the Graham Crackers
Each holiday house is made from around 4 full pieces of graham cracker. Break two in half pieces for the side walls and roof pieces. Use a serrated knife and a cutting board to trim the other two into a triangle shape to form the back panel and front.
Younger kids may need help cutting or breaking the crackers. You can pre-cut them before the decorating party starts to prevent meltdowns (ask me how I know!).
The Secret to Strong Royal Icing
You can use regular frosting or you can also use Royal Icing! The secret to a strong gingerbread house project is royal icing. You can find royal icing recipes made with egg whites or meringue powder. Either option works great, just make sure it’s at room temperature before using. You can also go to Walmart’s bakery and buy a large bag if it for cheap!
If making homemade, beat the icing at high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Transfer it to a pastry bag or ziploc bag and snip the end.
Icing Tip: wrap the bag with a rubber band or clip so your kids don’t accidentally squeeze out the back.
Icing Tips:
- Apply icing to all edges and seams where crackers meet
- Let the base dry before adding the roof panels
- Use extra icing along the roof pieces, sides of the house, and back wall for more stability,
- Add mini marshmallows or crushed graham crackers to hide icing messes
Using Milk Cartons for Little Hands
A great hack for little hands or younger kids is using small milk cartons as a frame. Glue crackers directly to the carton using a hot glue gun (just don’t eat them afterward!). This makes the structure sturdier and saves frustration.
Tip: You can do this ahead of time if you’re hosting a group or just need to minimize the mess.
Instructions for Easy DIY Gingerbread House with Graham Cracker
- Grab a cookie sheet and have it ready to build your gingerbread houses on.
- Get your graham crackers ready. You will want to trim down the front and back into peaks for the roof to go on. Each house needs 4 graham crackers. You will break two of them crackers in half to form the sides and roof.
- Put some icing in an icing bag or a ziplock bag. Clip a corner so that you have a nice icing pipe.
- Use the icing as the glue. Put icing on each edge as you put the house together. I start with the front and back pieces, add the side and then add the roof. Make sure the roof has lots of icing to hold it toegther.
- Now you can pipe on windows, doors, shingles.. whatever you want with the white icing.
- Now you can add your candy to create a fun & festive look. I used red and white peppermint candies to create simple, Christmas-inspired gingerbread houses.
- Then I crushed up the leftover graham crackers and some of the peppermint candies and sprinkled it all over the top.
- Now you can dust whit powdered sugar to make your house look like it is covered in snow!
- There ya go! Simple gingerbread houses using graham crackers!
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Decorating Your Holiday House
This is where the fun real starts.. so much candy! Let each child decorate however they like with gum drops, gummy bears, ice cream cones (for trees), crushed hard candies, and mini marshmallows for snow.
Use muffin tins or little bowls to organize candy toppings. Add a few drops of food coloring to your icing to create windows, wreaths, and snowflakes. So many possibilities for decorating and making these gram cracker houses your own!
Some fun decorating ideas:
- Ice cream cones upside down as Christmas trees
- Gummy bears as house guests
- Mini marshmallows as roof “shingles”
- Food coloring to tint icing green or red
- Crushed hard candies for stained-glass windows
Make it a New Tradition for the Family
Turn this simple gingerbread house project into an annual holiday tradition. Put on Christmas music, light some candles, and let everyone create their own masterpiece. Older kids can help younger ones. Parents can join in too!
Take photos, let the mess happen, and save a house or two as holiday house centerpieces.
What to Expect with Little Kids – Let’s be real, gingerbread house building with little kids is sticky, chaotic, and far from perfect. Someone will eat too much candy, the roof might fall the wrong way, and frosting will get everywhere.
But that’s the magic. It’s not about the perfect Martha Stewart house, it’s about connection, giggles, and building something together. Even if everything slides apart, your kids won’t remember that. They’ll remember last year when they licked frosting from their fingers and ate one too many gumdrops. Remember to take lots of pictures!
Related Post: More Meaningful Christmas Traditions
Common Questions
- Can I use regular frosting instead of royal icing?
You can, but it won’t hold as well. For best results, use a strong royal icing recipe with egg whites or meringue powder. - How do I cut graham crackers without breaking them?
Use a serrated knife and gently saw through the cracker on a cutting board. Don’t rush it! - What if I don’t have a pastry bag?
A ziploc bag with a clipped corner works great and is easy for little hands to manage. - Can I prep anything ahead of time?
Absolutely! Build the house frames in advance (especially using milk cartons), sort candy decorations in muffin tins, and mix your icing.
I hope this resource blesses you and your family this year!
Easy Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses
Easy DIY Gingerbread House with Graham Cracker
Equipment
- 1 gallon ziplock bag
- 1 tray
Ingredients
- 1 box graham crackers
- 1 tub white icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- various candies for decorating
Instructions
- Grab a cookie sheet and have it ready to build your gingerbread houses on.
- Get your graham crackers ready. You will want to trim down the front and back into peaks for the roof to go on. Each house needs 4 graham crackers. You will break two of them crackers in half to form the sides and roof.
- Put some icing in an icing bag or a ziplock bag. Clip a corner so that you have a nice icing pipe.
- Use the icing as the glue. Put icing on each edge as you put the house together. I start with the front and back pieces, add the side and then add the roof. Make sure the roof has lots of icing to hold it toegther.
- Now you can pipe on windows, doors, shingles.. whatever you want with the white icing.
- Now you can add your candy to create a fun & festive look. I used red and white peppermint candies to create simple, Christmas-inspired gingerbread houses.
- Then I crushed up the leftover graham crackers and some of the peppermint candies and sprinkled it all over the top.
- Now you can dust with powdered sugar to make your house look like it is covered in snow!
- There ya go! Simple gingerbread houses using graham crackers!
Enjoy 12 Days of Christmas Homemaking to insure you all Christmas!
