This year was our second year at work to have a Gingerbread House Contest! I was hoping we would have more participants this year than last years. We only had 3 houses come in. This year we only had two!!! Including mine. Last year I had this big idea that just didn't work out. I learned a lot from the first year I did one. Last year when my plan didn't work I had just said I am not going to do one and that was that. Well, I just couldn't give up so I put another one up in maybe 3 days, just so I would have something to bring in. It won one of the two categories last year but it still didn't display any of my skills. So this year as soon as the email came out about the Holiday schedule at work, I got right to work on this years gingerbread house. I started in October.
First, I searched for a template. I found nothing I liked. Just the same old boring online templates. So I started searching for books to see if there were any out there. I found The Gingerbread Architect in my local library. The book had many different styles of homes to choose from and it included templates. I loved the Victorian Farmhouse. I knew when I saw it, that was what I wanted to do this year.

The Gingerbread Architect had several homes I wanted to try so I went ahead and purchased this book.
I decorated all the outside pieces before putting them together. I didn't do that last year and found that it was definitely easier to do any decorating you can do before putting the house together. I did the siding with Royal Icing. I wish my work was cleaner but I don't think it's too bad it kind of gives it that old house siding look. So I was pretty happy with it. I just need some practice on keeping my hand steady.



The Christmas trees were made of fondant/tylose powder mixture, and then piped with leaves all around. This was pretty easy but really hurt my hands.
I love my fat little Santa. I watched this tutorial on how to make him.


The picket fences were made with royal icing.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
::Lisa:: says
Hi, I hope you don't mind me stopping by and saying hello. I found you by searching profiles on cakes, hehe. Your gingerbread house is amazing. Seriously, I'm embarrassed because I'm new to baking and couldn't do anything quite like this but I hope to one day.There's so much detail. It's just beautiful. I love the windows and the doors with the lights as well as the fence and the santa and reindeers on top just add the finishing touch to those delicate amazing tiles.Well done. I have to ask though, did you win?! 🙂
Cake Chica says
Thank you for stopping by Lisa. Yes I did win but only by default some would say. There were 2 catagories and only 2 people at my work entered the contest so I won Most Festive and the other catagory was Most Creative. This is just my second gingerbread house but I learned a lot on my first one.
Ann says
Your beautiful gingerbread house has been featured on BEST OF THE WEB GINGERBREAD HOUSES go to the bottom of the post to get your badge.