How to Preserve a Gingerbread House

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A gingerbread house is made of edible treats, but it's also a work of art that can be so pretty and festive that you'd rather preserve it than eat it. Without any preservation steps, most gingerbread houses last for months without visible deterioration, although they do stop being good to eat after just a week or two.

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If you want to keep a beautiful gingerbread house for even longer — for example, if you plan to store it and bring it out for the holidays next year — then consider preserving it with clear lacquer or varnish. This extends the life of a gingerbread house indefinitely, although some deterioration is still possible.

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Construct your gingerbread house on a suitable surface

Before you start baking gingerbread cookies, arranging gumdrops or putting together a gingerbread house kit, consider the surface on which you will build your cookie construction.

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If you intend to preserve a gingerbread house to last for more than one holiday season, it needs to be securely attached to a surface that you can move safely into and out of storage. Moving a gingerbread house by itself is likely to cause breakage. Some options include platters and cutting boards, which you could wrap in a layer of aluminum foil.

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Attach the gingerbread house pieces to the surface with royal icing and add more candy or plastic decorations directly to the board to resemble a festive garden.

Let the gingerbread house dry out

Before taking the additional step of preserving your own gingerbread house with varnish or clear lacquer, let it dry out at room temperature or in a cool, dry place for at least a week or two.

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The goal is to let as much moisture as possible evaporate from the gingerbread dough, royal icing and candy decorations.

Preserving the gingerbread house before it's dry will seal in moisture and possibly lead to mold. Wait until a few days before you're ready to store the gingerbread house for next year before applying varnish.

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Spray it with craft varnish

Seal the surfaces of your gingerbread house with a clear craft varnish (either acrylic or polyurethane) or a clear lacquer. These products will give the house a water-repellent coating and help preserve it indefinitely. They are available in matte, glossy or satin finishes, so choose one that offers the look you prefer for your gingerbread house.

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Follow the manufacturer's instructions, which will generally tell you to shake the can and spray in fine, even swipes over the surfaces from about 6 inches away. Try to be as thorough as possible in coating the gingerbread house and, ideally, spray inside the house as well, if that's possible.

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Apply more coats of varnish

Apply multiple coats of clear varnish to the gingerbread house for longer-lasting preservation. Let the previous coat thoroughly dry before spraying the next, and apply at least four to five coats of varnish in total.

Store the preserved gingerbread house

When the final coat of varnish is thoroughly dry, you can store the gingerbread house until the next holiday season. Lift the whole arrangement by the base and try not to touch the gingerbread house or decorations to avoid damage, as it can still be delicate after varnishing.

Place the house inside a plastic bag or sturdy container with a lid. Store it on a shelf where it won't be touched or disturbed. It does not need to be an airtight container.

It's best to keep the gingerbread house in storage inside the home, rather than a garage or other storage space, so it's less likely to be exposed to extreme temperatures or vermin.

Tip

If pieces of your gingerbread house or decorations get broken, you can attach them with a new batch of royal icing, let it dry for a few days and apply a few more coats of varnish.

Warning

Don't eat your gingerbread house or any of its decorations after applying varnish (obviously!). Also be sure to let any curious children or visitors know that the gingerbread house isn't edible.

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