Gingerbread house sizes
| Size | Base (width × depth) | Height to the ridge | Front and back | Side walls (2) | Roof panels (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 3.5 × 4.5 in (8.9 × 11.4 cm) | 5.25 in | 3.5 × 5.25 in (8.9 × 13.3 cm) | 4.5 × 3 in (11.4 × 7.6 cm) | 5.25 × 3.25 in (13.3 × 8.2 cm) |
| Medium | 5 × 6 in (12.7 × 15.2 cm) | 7.25 in | 5 × 7.25 in (12.7 × 18.4 cm) | 6 × 4 in (15.2 × 10.2 cm) | 7 × 4.625 in (17.8 × 11.7 cm) |
| Large | 6.5 × 7.5 in (16.5 × 19.1 cm) | 9 in | 6.5 × 9 in (16.5 × 22.9 cm) | 7.5 × 5 in (19.1 × 12.7 cm) | 8.5 × 5.625 in (21.6 × 14.4 cm) |
The front and back are measured up to the peak, and the roof panels hang over the walls a little on every side. The chimney pieces are worked out from the roof slope.
How to use the template
- Print at 100% (Actual size) and measure the square on page 1. If it isn't exactly 1 inch, the printer scaled the page.
- Cut out the paper pieces. For a template you can use every year, trace them onto thin card or a cereal box.
- Roll the dough about ¼ in (6 mm) thick, straight onto parchment paper so you don't have to move the cut pieces.
- Lay the pieces on the dough and cut around them with a sharp knife or a pizza wheel. Cut the door and windows now if you want them open, and pull away the scraps.
- Chill, then bake. Cold dough keeps its shape better in the oven.
- Trim while warm: as soon as the tray comes out, lay the paper pieces back on top and trim the edges that spread. Straight edges make the walls meet without gaps.
- Let everything cool completely before building. Warm gingerbread bends.
Putting the house together
- Glue it with royal icing (powdered sugar beaten with egg white or meringue powder). It dries hard; buttercream never does.
- Build on a base: a cake board or a sheet of cardboard covered in foil, a few inches bigger than the house all round, so there is room for a yard.
- Walls first: pipe a thick line of icing along the base and the side edges, stand the front against one side wall, and hold them up with cans or jars. Add the back and the other side the same way.
- Wait before the roof: let the walls set for an hour or two, then pipe icing along the top edges and press the roof panels on, meeting at the ridge.
- Chimney last: the two side pieces are cut to the slope of your roof, so the chimney stands straight. Glue the four pieces together, let them set, then fix it to the roof.
Decorating with kids? Pipe the windows, door and roof tiles before the walls go up, while the pieces lie flat.