How to Make Windows for a Gingerbread House

Making gingerbread houses is a tradition of many households during the holidays. You can purchase kits that come with individual pieces for windows, doors, walls and roofs, or you can make your own from scratch using gingerbread dough. If you choose to make your own, follow the steps to learn how to make windows for a gingerbread house.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Create Windows Before Baking the Structure

1. Roll out your dough into 1/2-inch slabs meant for your walls. Cut the edges straight and equal so you have your four walls--2 4-sided rectangles and 2 5-sided front and back walls (that will later connect the roof).

2. Measure from the edge of your front piece and mark the centers of your windows, equally spaced on either side of the door. Make the windows as large as you want but remember smaller is better as you need the dough to harden and hold itself up well.

3. Cut squares or rectangles from the dough and carefully remove them. Don't worry if the windows aren't perfectly straight; it just adds charm to your house. You can cover up rough edges later with candy and frosting.

4. Repeat the measuring, marking and cutting for the other wall slabs, creating as many windows as you want in your house. Remove the extra dough carefully and set the slabs on cookie sheets to dry and bake.

5. Bake the dough according to your recipe. Allow to cool completely before piecing the house together and moving on to the decorating phase.

Decorate Windows After Baking the Structure

6. Piece together your house according to your directions, using frosting mortar to connect the sides and roof. Allow your house to dry before decorating.

7. Make window shutters by affixing sticks of gum on either side of the window. Cut the gum to size and use frosting to attach it to the gingerbread frame. For extra color find gum with stripes or sugar crystals.

8. Use frosting to line the edges of the windows and place small candy beads along the lines of the openings. Gingerbread houses can be as candy cluttered as you want them to be. Dressing up the windows is an easy way to add color and texture.

9. Consider other candy pieces for your windows. Be creative with ropes, twists, colored frosting, cinnamon dots, sprinkles and anything else you can find. Remember to do all windows but give emphasis to the front.

10. Decorate windows without using cutouts by drawing them onto your gingerbread walls with frosting. Glue candy pieces onto the gingerbread to make it look like openings without the hassle of cutting them.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at pictures of finished gingerbread houses for ideas on how to decorate your windows.