How to Build a Gingerbread Playhouse
Last updated August 21, 2024
DeLancey is passionate about empowering women to make small changes in their life and home that lead to large transformations. With down-to-earth and easy to understand tutorials, she encourages her followers to step out of their comfort zone, learn new skills, and make over a space with their own two hands. DeLancey lives in a 1988 fixer-upper in the Atlanta area with her husband of 10 years and three young children.
A Note From The Home Depot
Enjoy some holiday fun with this family friendly craft. Join DeLancey Carson of The Carson Home as she takes you through a fun holiday playhouse project perfect for kids!
Table of Contents
How to Build a Gingerbread Playhouse
Step 1: Cutting Plywood
Step 2: Assembling the Roof
Step 3: Adding Decorations
Step 4: Building Oversized Candy
How to Build a Gingerbread Playhouse
Jump into the holidays with this simple project that your kids are sure to love!
Step 1: Cutting Plywood
Start by cutting out the house shape from plywood with a circular saw. Side pieces measure 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall. The Front and the Back pieces are 4 feet tall on the sides and the roof peak is 6 feet tall. Cut an arched door with a jigsaw on the Front piece about 18” wide x 4’ tall. Save half of the cutout piece to be your half door. On the Side pieces, cut out windows with a jigsaw.
Attach the front to one side piece using two of the locking hinges. Attach back to other side piece using two locking hinges. Attach two halves of the playhouse together with lift-off hinges. Constructing this way allows the playhouse to be separated and folded to store for next year.
Step 2: Assembling the Roof
For the roof, cut the FRP wall panel into two 36”x48” pieces. Attach to each other with hinges and lath strips for support at the hinges (two strips of lath for each side - one above the FRP and one below).
To make a removable roof ridge, lay plastic over the assembled roof and apply a thick layer of spray foam at the peak. Place giant Hershey kisses on spray foam and let dry. When dry, peel away the plastic.
Step 3: Adding Decorations
Paint playhouse brown. Add “icing” details to base and roof using Tite Foam expanding spray foam.
Step 4: Building Oversized Candy
Candy Canes: Cut 2” pvc pipe to 45” long and 10” long. Glue three 45-degree street elbows into an arch and add one regular 45-degree elbow. Glue the long and short pipes to the arch. Wrap in red ribbon and secure with hot glue or construction adhesive.
M&Ms: Spray paint 4” pipe test caps in Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Brown and Yellow. Make a cardboard stencil of an “m” and lightly spray each one with white spray paint. Attach around the front door with construction adhesive.
Peppermints: Spray paint plant saucers white. Make a peppermint stencil out of cardboard and spray each peppermint with red. Attach to the roof with construction adhesive.
Hershey Kisses: Wrap large funnels in aluminum foil, add a ribbon, and attach to the roofline with spray foam.
Gum Drops: Spray paint 6” planters in various colors and then add glitter for “sugar”.
This project is a great way to celebrate the holiday season with your family, and its ability to be folded so that it’s compact makes it perfect for years to come. We hope you enjoy, and have a happy holiday!
This post was created in partnership with The Home Depot. The author may have received compensation for this article and associated images or video, potentially in the form of products and/or services. All expressed opinions and experiences are the author’s own words.
