Has Anyone Made A Gingerbread Replica Of A Real House?
Decorating By BakingGirl Updated 22 Nov 2006 , 7:02pm by mrsw
I am wondering if I should attempt making a gingerbread version of my own house for Christmas. 
It is probably a ridiculous idea but it would look sooo cool if I managed to pull it off.
If anyone has made a gingerbread version of a real house I would love to hear about it. I am just wondering where to start and how to get the scale right.
BakingGirl
I have made gingerbread houses with plans drawn up by architects, which is a similar idea, I guess. They were fairly simple designs, though. How compmlicated is your house? Your scale depends a lot on the size of your house. If your house is about 45' by 60', you might want to make your scale 3 feet to 1 inch, because then your house would be about 15" by 20", and I don't imagine you want to get a whole lot bigger than that. If your house is a lot bigger than the one I mentioned, your scale might need to be smaller.
Do you have the measurements of your house? It's really hard to just guess when there are so many measurements involved, but you could probably get close if you draw all the pieces out on paper and try putting the pieces together to see if they make your house. If you cut them out of cardboard, they'll hold their shape and you can save your pattern and reuse it every year.
Aaron morgan and Paige Gilchrist wrote a book called "Making Great Gingerbread Houses". In there, there is a whole chapter on how to make replica houses including getting the scale right, etc. You might want to check it out from the library. I'm not sure if it's out of print but it can be hard to find. Good luck!!
Hello all, thanks for your replies.
Meghabyte, I have the architect's plans for my house. I was kind of thinking I would use those to make up templates. I am not sure what scale they are, but I guess if every drawing is to the same scale it should work. My house is not a rectangular box unfortunately, so it could get a bit tricky. Did you do these houses for other people or yourself?
Moydear77, how hot do you boil your sugar for the poured windows? Do you pour the sugar straight into the gingerbread section or do you attach the sugar after it has cooled? I was thinking sheet gelatin but poured sugar is probably a bit more glass like.
Bobwonderbuns, thanks for the book tip. I live on an island in the middle of nowhere so unlikely our library has it, but I will look for it on the internet. Sounds like the sort of book I should own.
BakingGirl
Moydear77, sorry - idiot question, but what is Isomalt?
BakingGirl
Last year my friend and I had the great idea to finally attempt the replica gingerbread Notre Dame cathedral. We had no idea what we were in for! I've never seen so much gingerbread and royal icing. All in all and about 2 weeks later, it turned out great. Maybe something a bit smaller this year...
The gingerbread houses I made were for a charity event at a mall- bakers teamed up with architects to make some pretty neat stuff, and the public could pay a dollar (to the charity) to vote. It was fun, but of course they plan those things to take place during the holidays when most bakeries are already swamped anyway!
I have also made windows by crushing up jolly ranchers and sprinkling the crushed candy (using multi colors gives a stained glass sort of look) into the cut window holes in the gingerbread (which is on a cookie sheet), and baking them until they melt.
Titansgold and Meghabyte,
Do you have pictures of your gingerbread houses/cathedral, I would love to see! I like the Jolly Rancher idea, would be really pretty.
BakingGirl
I know we have pictures somewhere, I'll see if I can find them. We used crushed life savers in all colors for the stained glass windows. Making those was the best part 
Looking forward to seeing pictures!
Don't know how you managed to keep enough Lifesavers to complete your stained glass windows. I LOVE Lifesavers and Jolly Ranchers, so if I was using those it would be one for me, one for the house, one for me.....
BakingGirl
I saw a really cool food network challenge where they made really ornate gingerbread houses. Some complete with rooms inside with furniture! Maybe check their website for a link? I do remember one chef making windows with a silpat mat I believe and they looked really cool - Good luck with your project and please post pictures
Rebecca
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