I need to make a very large (5' x 2'), detailed Halloween centerpiece for a party in October, and I would like to make as much of it ahead of time as possible. The centerpiece will be made of "edibles", but it will not be eaten.

What would be the best medium for a large haunted house? I'm thinking maybe gingerbread or gumpaste over Rice Krispies, but I don't really know how long either would hold up. Ideally, I would like to create most of the pieces 4 to 6 weeks in advance.

Any info or ideas would be greatly appreciated. (Lisa)

a good hard baking gingerbread will last ages.

This is probably a silly question, but when using gingerbread to make a house, do you cut out the shapes before baking or after?

i've had a gngerbread house for a couple of years and it's only just startedlooking shabby this year so you should have no problem until halloween

When I baked mine, I cut out the shapes with a knife using the templates but didn't remove the excess dough. I baked it all as is. After it was baked, I went around and retrimmed it.