‘Tis the season, which means that it’s time to start pulling out your gingerbread house supplies. After all, this is one of the most fun holiday activities there is. However, it does get pretty messy. And the worst thing of all? When your gingerbread house topples right in front of your eyes. But don’t worry, these tips will keep your gingerbread house together and stable.
Give it Time
We all know the most fun part of making gingerbread houses is decorating them, but you’ll have to practice some patience before you do if you want the house to stay upright. Give the base of your gingerbread house a minimum of one hour to dry before you start applying decorations. Waiting longer is even better—if you can stand it.
Make Edible Glue
Many people use frosting to keep their gingerbread houses together, but it’s not usually strong enough for the job. Royal icing is a better option because it dries hard, but there are other choices that are even better than that. Try melted white chocolate or caramel for best results.
Go Inside Out
You can’t go crazy dobbing extra-thick heaps of gingerbread house glue on the outside of the house, since that’s the part everybody sees. But reinforcing the inside of the gingerbread house walls with extra thick layers is a great way to keep things stable. It’ll all get covered by the roof anyway.
