How to make a cardboard gingerbread house for kids. This is a fun and easy alternative to a classic holiday craft!
During the holiday season, we love to bake and decorate gingerbread houses. But this year, we tried a slightly different approach. Using simple materials like cardboard, shaving cream, and white glue, we created cardboard gingerbread houses!
While not as yummy as the edible version, this hands-on project was lots of fun as we decorated the houses with shaving cream “frosting,” added windows and doors, and embellished with colorful details.
Next, I think we’ll add some decorated Christmas trees to our houses, to create a little village!
How to Make a Cardboard Gingerbread House
MATERIALS
- Cardboard (put those Amazon boxes to good use!)
- White glue
- Shaving cream
- Decorative items, like sequins, buttons, beads, and pom poms
- Sharpies or paint markers (optional)
- Bowl and spoon
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the cardboard houses
To begin, I used an exact-o knife to cut the shapes of a gingerbread house out of cardboard.
I glued my house pieces together ahead of time, so they would be sturdy when my kids were decorating.
Alternatively, you can use the shaving cream glue to glue them together as you go. - Make your shaving cream ‘frosting’
In a bowl, mix equal parts shaving cream and white glue. This will create a fluffy and textured glue for the “frosting” on the gingerbread house.
You can use popsicle sticks or plastic knives to spread the shaving cream frosting or spoon it into baggies and pipe it on. - Decorate the house
Use the shaving cream glue to make decorative patterns on the walls and roof of the gingerbread house. Kids can get creative and make swirls, dots, or zigzags to resemble icing.
We piped the shaving cream glue onto the peak of the roof to look like snow!
While the glue is still wet, decorate your house with buttons, beads, sequins, or other small decorative items.
You can also use a sharpie or paint marker to draw decorations and details on. - Let it dry
Allow the entire gingerbread house to dry completely. Then, display it somewhere special!
These gingerbread houses may not be edible, but they are super cute! And we had a lot of fun making and decorating them!
More Christmas Crafts for Kids
- 11 Christmas Craft Ideas for Kids
- 20 Homemade Christmas Ornaments the Whole Family Can Make
- How to Make a Christmas Tree Craft
- 12 Christmas Sensory Bins for Kids
- 5 Christmas Baking Ideas for Kids this Holiday Season
- Easy Christmas Crafts for Toddlers
Want even more creative ideas?
Check out our Holiday Creativity pack!
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