a gingerbread house so easy even a five year old can make it!

This morning, we attended a local library's gingerbread house making party.  We had a blast and the instructions were so simple even Mackenna, who is 5, could assemble and decorate one completely by herself! 

Want to join in the fun?  Here goes...

Start with graham crackers (we used cinnamon ones because we thought they looked sparkle~y,  like snow-dusted houses.) and any white frosting - refrigerated overnight before starting.  The library provided tin foil covered cardboard rounds, a plastic "pastry" bag, and a plastic spoon.  I brought butter knifes, which we did also use.

Ready?

Okay.

Fill your pastry bag with frosting 1/2 way and roll closed.  Pipe the frosting onto three sides of the first cracker and place upright on the round.  Pipe frosting onto three sides of the next two crackers and place them perpendicular to the first cracker but in slightly from the edge.  **This is the secret to a sturdy house!  Edge to edge crackers WILL collapse - place the two sides in slightly from the edges of the ends**  Pipe the frosting onto the three sides of the fourth cracker and place at the end.  Your walls should look like this...

 Now we have to brace the roof.  We placed a peppermint candy and then a Hershey kiss- both held in place with frosting- in the middle of both "end" crackers.  Then frost the undersides of the roof crackers (two of them) along the top and bottom (lengthwise) of the crackers.  Very gently, balance the two crackers against each other at an angle- resting against the braces.  Hold (the crackers and your breath) for a second and then let go...

Now comes the setting time.  For BEST results, let the houses sit like this overnight.  We let them sit for 15 minutes while we planned and prepared our "decorations"...

Oh yeah, and decorated a gingerbread cookie we baked at school yesterday and snuck along today to decorate too.  After the house has set, very carefully apply some frosting to the candy and cookies of your liking and apply to house.

Very carefully....

Once you've gained some confidence, continue frosting and decorating- your consistently more rapid pace fueled by the 3:1 mouth to house candy destination ratio...

If  by some chance your roof cracks and does start to cave- no worries. Simply discard  eat  the broken cracker and braces and lay the one cracker still in good shape flat across the walls.  Problem solved.

Before you know it, you will be the proud owners of some of the best real estate in town this holiday season...