Holidays
From classic to modern vibes, these all-inclusive kits are fun and convenient.
Gingerbread houses are a fun holiday activity for the whole family (by activity I mean a project where you do all the work and your kid tries to eat your work with icing covered fingers). But I can’t be the only one who remembers trying to glue graham crackers to cardboard milk cartons in an attempt to get the gingerbread house to resemble, well, a structure of any kind. If you’re looking for a fun and easy project, here’s where you buy a gingerbread house kit for the family. In these modern times, you can find one where most Christmas decorations are sold. And a kit means you and your kids get to do the actual fun part of decorating without having to bake or figure out how to get slabs of cookie to stand up.
Whether you like to keep it classic, you need a gluten-free cookie, or you’re looking to shake up the traditional gingerbread house in favor of a gingerbread sleigh, igloo, or even Santa’s RV (yes times are strange), there’s a gingerbread house kit here for you. Some of the kits even come with more than one house so when one inevitably gets weighed down by icing to the point of collapse, it’s no biggie because you have another one.
Read on for where to find gingerbread house kits that just may help you make a masterpiece. Though, in all honesty, whatever you make is fine — it’s more about the experience of bonding with your family (and eating candy) as it is about having something festive to display.
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An Igloo Gingerbread Kit from Joann
Sure you could make a gingerbread house, but what about taking it up a notch and making an igloo. The best part of the kit is that because it’s all pre-cut, which means you don’t have to worry about figuring out how to cut crumbly cookies into that arch shape. This one comes with five pre-baked cookie igloo panels, white and light blue ready-to-use icing the flavor is vanilla), green fondant for making little trees, the cutest lightbulb sprinkle, the polar bear icing decoration, two piping bags; there’s also thankfully an instruction sheet. To recreate how this looks in the picture, it’s easy to find bottle brush trees on Etsy or in most craft or holiday stores.
A Gingerbread Sleigh Kit from Wilton
Take your gingerbread friends for a ride on Santa’s slay with this kit. A nice change (or addition to) the classic gingerbread house, the sleigh kit includes two gingerbread sleigh panels, plus the base, seven gingerbread cookie shapes (four gifts, a candy cane, Christmas tree, and gingerbread person); red, white and green icing that’s already in piping bags, plus red and white nonpareils, white sanding sugar, snowflake sprinkles, red, green and gold candies, and a festive sprinkle mix. Add some reindeer figurines (or better yet, decorated cookies) and you have a magical scene your kids will love (if you can convince them not to eat the sleigh).
A Modern Gingerbread Kit With Vegan & Plant-Based Decorations from Supernatural
If you love the idea of decorating a gingerbread house using a kit, but you’re not sure about artificial dyes, then this cool kit from Supernatural may be your best bet. All of their products are made without the top eight allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat) and are plant-based. This whimsical gingerbread kit doesn’t skimp on fun, however, and I love how the house has a midcentury vibe (just note the cookie pieces are not actually included, but there is a recipe from gingerbread legend, Patti Paige). The kit comes with festive sprinkles, coconut sugar and plant-based food coloring, rainbow chips, and the recipe.
A Gingerbread House Village from Target
Why make on gingerbread house when you could make a whole village? This set of four houses assures you have enough to share with friends (or can start over when you mess one up). You’ll get enough cookie pieces for four houses, plus cute rainbow candies, frosting, and labels that say chalet, candy shop, bakery, top shop, Santa’s workshop, and — this one makes me laugh because and this one makes me laugh because apparently you need access to money to live in a gingerbread village — bank.
One wise reviewer said, “Cute holiday tradition with kids. This is for decoration, not eating — come at it with that expectation and save yourself some frustration. Use hot glue instead of frosting to hold house pieces together. Plenty of candy pieces included IMO.”
A Classic Gingerbread House Kit from Walmart
It’s hard not to smile when you see those cute little gingerbread figures with their cartoonish grins. This gingerbread house kit can be bought at Walmart, and it includes gingerbread cookies, a tray for building (save your counters) icing in a piping bag, gummy trees, snowflake sprinkles, mini beads, small jelly candies, and peppermint ball decorations. One reviewer wrote, “Easy to assemble! Only Gingerbread house I've ever successfully made that didn't fall apart! My sister loved how the Gingerbread men tasted :( lol.”
Walmart actually has a bunch of cute kits including a Trolls gingerbread kit (it’s made using really cute rainbow confetti gingerbread), and another one featuring the minions.
An Easy Gingerbread Kit from Amazon
Perfect for siblings, or one parent and a child, this set from Amazon contains the supplies for two full-size gingerbread houses.It comes with 12 pieces of gingerbread (six per house), white icing, mini jelly candies, colorful bead-like candies, plus pucker-up candy. Some of the sweet treats look like rocks so you can make a stone path or make the house look brick. One reviewer said, “They package with lots of cushion, so there is no chance for it to break! Plenty of candy to decorate. My kids loved making these! Would have gave 5 stars if the order shipped as first described when ordered.” It’s worth noting that others said there wasn’t enough candy for both houses, so you may want to stock up beforehand.
A Gingerbread House With Tons Of Accessories from Williams Sonoma
Gingerbread artistes and amateurs are in-luck: this gingerbread house kit from William Sonoma comes with everything you’ll need to make a stunning winter scene. In addition to the cookies, there’s an icing mix, four packs of colored sugar gumdrops, red and white starlight mints, funfetti sprinkles and festive candy sticks.
If you like having a gingerbread house around, but aren’t so keen on actually, you know, decorating one, you can buy this pre-made (and decorated) gingerbread house that’s a gorgeous holiday collaboration between Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma. It’s covered in French royal icing and there’s even an option to add a personalized plaque.
A Gluten-Free Gingerbread House from Sur La Table
Finally, here’s a gingerbread house kit that’s gluten-free and vegan so even those who avoid gluten and animal products can partake.It comes with an easy-to-make cookie mix, plus cookie cutters to get the shape just right. There’s also a vegan icing mix plus a piping bag, naturally colored and flavored candy canes, parchment paper for easy clean up, and naturally colored sprinkles and sparkles. This is a more in-depth project than simply decorating a house, but it’s also very rewarding (and you’ll get to tell everyone you literally baked your gingerbread house). Your friends (or kids) with food allergies will be delighted.
A Camper Gingerbread Kit from Cabela’s
It’s very rare that I order something as I’m writing about it, and yet I just took a quick break to buy this amazing gingerbread cookie camper kit. Turning the traditional quaint gingerbread house on its head, this kit makes a very merry and festive RV. perfect for Santa (or should I say Vanta?) it comes with the cookies of course, plus candy lights, icing, and best of all, it includes the paper cut-outs of Santa, a picnic table with a Christmas tree, and a sizzling grill to really bring the scene to life. Maybe this whole time we’ve been thinking St. Nick is in the North Pole, he’s really been camping out in his cool RV.
A Gingerbread House Kit from Dylan’s Candy Bar
Get into the holiday spirit with this cute and detailed gingerbread house kit from Dylan’s Candy Bar. The arched door and cobblestone siding is (no offense) better that most things you could bake at home, and the kit comes with all the candy and icing you’ll need to make this house come to life. And if you really want to get wild with the candy, there’s no better place than Dylan’s to stock up on festive holiday treats (they also have a yummy chocolate advent calendar that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser for kids who find the art gingerbread houses frustrating).
A Not-Christmassy Gingerbread House from Bed, Bath, & Beyond
Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you may still want to get in on the fun of a gingerbread house (excuse me, in this case it’s a gingerbread castle). Here you’ll get all the fun cookie decorating without a Santa or a green or red candy in sight. This kit comes with pre-baked gingerbread cookies, icing and candy for decorating, plus there’s an assembly tray that makes putting together the castle a breeze. This is made in a peanut and tree nut-free facility though it does contain wheat and soy (and potentially milk and eggs).
Whether you are looking for a tried-and-true classic gingerbread house kit or something more modern, there’s kit out there for you and your family to enjoy this holiday season. A word to the wise: stock up on plenty of extra candies especially for snacking.