Looking for some unique gingerbread house ideas for contest? This blog is for you. From classic holiday themes to creative and modern designs, I have gathered 21 unique gingerbread house ideas that will impress any judges in a gingerbread house contest. So, read on and get inspired for your own gingerbread house masterpiece in 2023.
21 Unique Gingerbread House Ideas for Contest 2023
Halloween! Christmas! New Year! Right now, a festive vibe is everywhere. Office to home, street to shops all are decorated with bells and balls. It’s the time of year when everyone gets into the holiday spirit and starts planning their celebrations.
And what better way to show off your creativity than by participating in a gingerbread house contest? And here are 21 unique Diy gingerbread house ideas for contest in 2023.
#1. The Winter Wonderland
Picture a gingerbread house coated in white royal icing, thickly layered to look like freshly fallen snow. Use tiny sugar crystals that will catch the light and twinkle, mimicking real snowflakes. Incorporate marshmallows to build cute little snowmen and use edible silver balls as their buttons. Finally, make miniature pine trees from green fondant to complete the wintery landscape.
#2. The Haunted Gingerbread House
Need some Halloween decoration ideas? Dark black icing makes the base of the house, and licorice bats hang from the roof. Create intricate cobwebs with spun sugar or finely piped white icing. Embed gummy worms into the front yard as though they’re crawling out of the ground. Add small orange pumpkin candies for a pop of color and a nod to Halloween.
#3. Candyland Dream
Begin with a brightly colored icing foundation—think pinks, yellows, and blues. Your roof tiles are colorful gumdrops, neatly arranged. Add pillars made of peppermint sticks and line your walkways with rainbow licorice twists. Use gummy bears or sour worms as little characters living in this whimsical world.
#4. Miniature Farmhouse
Imagine a classic farmhouse built from gingerbread. Use shredded wheat cereal to fashion a realistic thatched roof. Create a yard filled with candy corn pumpkins and gummy farm animals. Use graham cracker pieces as shutters for your windows and build a silo from stacked marshmallows. It’s the countryside in candy form!
#5. The Beach Bungalow
Start with a simple gingerbread structure as your bungalow. Use blue jello set in a shallow dish to create the sea and crush graham crackers for the sandy beach. Cocktail umbrellas serve as sunshades, and strips of sour belt candy can act as beach towels. Complete the scene with a fondant surfboard leaning against the house.
#6. The Log Cabin
To make your cabin’s walls, stick toffee or pretzel sticks onto the gingerbread with icing as your “mortar.” A powdered sugar sprinkle serves as a dusting of freshly fallen snow. Add a chimney made of chocolate and windows framed with cinnamon sticks to make it ultra-cozy.
#7. Modern Marvel
Use a black-and-white icing palette, creating geometric patterns like stripes or squares. Add metallic accents with edible gold or silver leaf. Decorate with minimalist furniture made from candy pieces. For added flair, create a tiny rooftop garden with mint leaf plants.
#8. The Castle of Dreams
Craft majestic turrets using upside-down sugar cones dipped in icing and sprinkles. Your moat can be made from blue jelly and a drawbridge from chocolate bars. Use wafer cookies to make castle walls. Complete the fantasy with cotton candy clouds hovering above your castle.
#9. The Hobbit Hole
Create a rounded gingerbread structure with a circular door made of a chocolate cookie. Add windows framed with white icing and use mushroom-shaped candies, or create your own from fondant. Pretzel sticks can be used for fencing, and a sprinkle of cocoa powder around the house simulates dirt.
#10. Eco-Friendly Abode
For this earth-conscious home, use green-tinted coconut flakes as a grassy yard. Line the walkway with candy rocks and use chocolate squares as solar panels on the roof. Bonus points for adding a mini wind turbine made from licorice and marshmallow!
#11. Space Odyssey
Start with a deep blue or black icing base for your cosmic house. Decorate with round candies as planets and star-shaped sprinkles to fill the sky. A rocket crafted from a sugar cone with a gumdrop tip can be placed beside the house. Add silver edible balls as meteors.
#12. School Days
Use red icing as your base and red hot candies to mimic bricks. Create windows with yellow fondant and a door with chocolate. Make a playground using marshmallow fluff as snow and candy cane pieces as the swing set.
#13. The Lighthouse
You’ll want to use a tall, narrow sugar cone for the lighthouse structure. Coat it with white icing and add red or black stripes. Top it with a yellow gumdrop as the light, and place it on a sea of blue frosting adorned with candy fish and chocolate rocks.
#14. Parisian Apartment
Craft your gingerbread into a tall structure with balconies made from licorice strings. Use clear, hard candies for windows. Decorate with mini croissants and Eiffel Towers crafted from piped icing or chocolate.
#15. Movie Night
Use red licorice as velvet ropes leading up to the gingerbread home turned movie theater. Create film reels from black licorice wheels and use popcorn kernels to represent twinkling marquee lights. Use fondant or icing to create a movie screen on one side of the house.
#16. Santa’s Workshop
Here is a Christmas decoration plan. Paint a festive scene with gumdrop elves and candy cane pillars. Create tiny toy sacks using pieces of fruit roll-ups and fill them with mini candy toys like Skittles or M&Ms. Consider adding a reindeer barn made from chocolate bars.
#17. The Library
Use wafer cookies as bookshelves and stand them up inside the house. Create ladders from licorice strings and tiny books from pieces of colored fondant or miniature printed titles. Add a reading nook with a marshmallow chair and a licorice table.
#18. Fairy Garden
Adorn your house with pastel-colored icing, edible flowers, and gumdrop toadstools. Make pathways with crushed pastel mints and add a fairy or two made from marzipan or fondant. Top it off with a sprinkle of edible glitter for that magical fairy dust effect.
#19. Underwater Adventure
Cover your gingerbread house with shades of blue icing, then add accents like gummy sharks and starfish made from star-shaped candies. Create coral using twisted orange licorice and add seashell candies to complete the undersea look.
#20. Rooftop Garden
Create your standard gingerbread house, but give it an urban twist with a rooftop garden. Use herbs like rosemary and thyme to act as trees and bushes. Decorate with small pieces of colored fondant as flowers for added charm.
#21. Vintage Camper
Craft your gingerbread into the shape of a vintage RV. Use candy cane pieces for the bumpers and chocolate wafer wheels. Decorate with colorful icing in retro patterns and add marshmallow “propane tanks” to complete the look.
Checkout the below video content for more detailed guideline on Gingerbread House And Cookie.
FAQs on Gingerbread House Ideas for Contest
How do you plan a gingerbread house contest?
Here are some tips on planning a gingerbread house contest-
- Set a theme: Choose a specific theme for the contest to make it more challenging and creative.
- Determine the rules: Decide on the size, materials allowed, and other guidelines for building the gingerbread houses.
- Invite participants: Advertise the contest and invite people of all ages and skill levels to participate. You can also reach out to local schools, organizations, or businesses to generate more interest.
- Gather supplies: Make sure you have all the necessary materials for building gingerbread houses, such as gingerbread kits, icing, and decorations.
- Set a timeline: Determine how much time participants will have to build their gingerbread houses and when they need to submit them for judging.
- Choose judges: Select a panel of judges from within the organization or outside experts to evaluate the gingerbread houses.
- Plan for prizes: Decide on prizes for the winners and any special categories, such as most creative or best use of theme.
- Arrange display space: Determine where the finished gingerbread houses will be displayed during the contest period.
- Promote the event: Use social media, flyers, or other methods to promote the gingerbread house contest and generate excitement.
- Have fun: Remember to have fun and enjoy the creativity of all the participants!
What are some common themes for a gingerbread house contest?
Some popular themes include fairy tales, winter wonderland, famous landmarks or buildings, holidays (such as Christmas or Halloween), and iconic movie or TV sets.
What are some tips for building a successful gingerbread house?
- Make sure your gingerbread dough is sturdy and able to support the weight of decorations.
- Use royal icing as it dries hard and strong, making it ideal for holding the structure together.
- Let the pieces dry completely before assembling to avoid collapsing.
- Plan out your design beforehand and have all the necessary materials on hand.
- Be creative with decorations, such as using candy canes as pillars or pretzels as roof shingles.
- Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try new techniques.
Can I use store-bought gingerbread kits for a contest?
Yes, you can use store-bought gingerbread house kits, but make sure to read the rules carefully and see if there are any restrictions on using pre-made components. Some contests may require all elements to be homemade. Adhere to the guidelines set by the contest organizers.
How do you make a gingerbread house unique?
There are many ways to make a gingerbread house unique, including:
- Choosing an unconventional shape for the house, such as a castle or RV.
- Incorporating unexpected elements, like adding a rooftop garden or underwater scene.
- Using non-traditional materials, such as pretzels or cereal, for texture and dimension.
- Decorating with a specific theme in mind, such as a favorite movie or book.
- Adding personalized details, like a mini version of your own home or adding family members as gingerbread people. The key to making a unique gingerbread house is letting your imagination run wild and having fun with the process!
What can I add to my gingerbread house?
You can add a variety of decorations to your gingerbread house, such as:
- Icing for snow, windows, and other details.
- Candy or cookies for embellishments like trees, doors, and roof shingles.
- Pretzels or cereal for texture and dimension.
- Fruit roll-ups or fondant for additional color and design elements.
- Edible glitter or sprinkles for a festive touch.
- Personalized decorations, such as miniature versions of family members or pets, are made from fondant or candy.
Conclusion
Don’t limit yourself to the traditional gingerbread house design. Let your imagination run wild and create a unique gingerbread house that showcases your creativity and personality. Whether it’s a beach bungalow or a fairy garden, there are endless possibilities for creating a one-of-a-kind gingerbread masterpiece.
So gather your supplies, put on some holiday music, and get ready to build your very own gingerbread dream house. We hope you had fun and enjoyed these creative ideas for your holiday baking escapades.
