Cardboard Gingerbread Houses with Wikki Stix
By Jaclyn Ryan
One of the holiday traditions I have enjoyed most over the years is making gingerbread houses with my children. A staple of Christmas, gingerbread houses can be as simple or as complicated as you’d like!
Legend has it that the gingerbread house has been around since medieval times and now gingerbread house making is an actual, real life profession! Try doing a simple google search and you will see the endless ideas and designs that go into the making of this Christmas tradition.
With my children, I have come to enjoy the crafty type of gingerbread house a lot more than the edible version. Crafting gingerbread houses instead of eating them with my kids means we still get to enjoy a fun Christmas tradition, but with much less mess and without the sugar crash!
My three daughters were so excited when I told them we’d be partnering with Wikki Stix to make some fun gingerbread houses out of cardboard! These are relatively simple to make, they are so much fun for kids (and for everyone else in the family, too)!
Wikki Stix is actually the perfect tool to use with an open ended craft project like this one. They provide a whole bunch of color options within their Big Count Box – 13 different colors, to be exact. Each Wikkie is 6-in length and there are 468 of them in all! I love that they came packaged in a flip-top box that can also be fun to decorate in and of itself and can also be used for storage. Best of all, Wikki Stix do not need to be taped or glued down – simply press them to the surface to adhere them!
My recommendation is to begin this project by surrendering all creative design over to your children. Definitely let them know that there is no right or wrong way to do this project. You can do a quick google search for gingerbread house coloring page printables for design inspiration, but let your children take the lead with the actual project. I promise you, the result will be far more adorable than if you try to guide their every move with this craft.
Materials Needed:
- Wikki Stix Big Count Box
- Cardboard
- Gingerbread House Printable (optional)
- A good pair of scissors
Step 1:
Cut out each part of your cardboard house separately. In this instance, we needed:
- A floor
- Sides (2)
- Roof (2)
- Front
- Back
We used a template that I found after a quick google search. Label each piece as you go so that you don’t get confused.
Step 2:
Have your children brainstorm their design. Try to keep things as open-ended as possible and focus on the process above all else. By focusing on the process of creation rather than the finished product, children are free to embrace their creativity, make independent decisions and gain confidence in their own abilities.
Step 3:
Once their design is complete, guide your children to choose the colors, the shapes and anything else they see fit for their gingerbread house! The most fun part about this craft in particular is that it focuses mainly on the “decorating”, which is something children can easily do independently and however which way they please!
Step 4:
Use scissors to cut the Wikkies, as needed. Instruct children to press down hard on the cardboard to get the Wikkies to attach (this is actually great fine motor practice!). That’s it — no glue is even needed for this craft until the very end!
Once all Wikki Stix decorations have been added, assemble your gingerbread houses using a low temp hot glue gun. Then, add them to your holiday display at home!
Aren’t these just adorable? And as you can see, they aren’t too difficult to make! So, grab yourself some leftover Amazon boxes, Wikki Stix, and get the whole family involved. You could even have a gingerbread house making competition! Whatever you decide to do, be sure to have fun with it and take some pictures as it will surely make some lovely family memories!
About Jaclyn Ryan
Jaclyn Ryan is a mom of four, former teacher (MS Ed in Early Childhood), and early childhood advocate. She lives in Connecticut with her family and prefers to engage her children in activities that foster creativity and connection — and that are also fun!
