Gingerbread House Decorating Fun- Life-size!

Make your kid's dreams come true with this life-size gingerbread house idea!

My kids just love the little playhouses made out of cardboard and I love them too, because the kids are entertained for days... playing and coloring them until they are literally destroyed and then I get to throw them out! 

This year I was inspired by the gingerbread house decorating competition I was watching on the Food Network and I decided I would do something similar at home. I have seen the cardboard houses in the brown color (normally they are white) and so I ordered one from Target... along with all these other goodies from Oriental Trading. Here is how simple and fun this was! And how cute! All the kids from the neighborhood will love coming over to see, play and decorate! 

  1. Build the simple to construct cardboard play house from Target
  2. Decorate the house with large candy decorations like these from Oriental Trading
  3. Adult only!! Use a hot glue gun to glue the main decorations to the house (this will help hold the decorations on securely so the kids can play and use the house for the coming days)
  4. Add fake snow on roof (can use felt)
  5. Let the children add actual candy (like gumdrops and peppermint) & snowflakes using Elmers Glitter Glue- if the candy is large or heavy you can glue them using the hot glue gum for a firmer hold
  6. Add wire string lights
  7. Use decals to decorate the floor and/or window
  8. Use a white rug/throw to look like snow (I picked this up from Century 21)
  9. Let the kids color their own designs with Crayola Scented Markers 
  10. Enjoy days of fun with this!!

Happy Holidays!