How to Make Small Gingerbread Houses With Graham Crackers

Gingerbread houses are a holiday favorite, but they can be difficult to make, especially for younger children. Use graham crackers and small milk cartons for a variation on the gingerbread house that is easy and inexpensive. This simple holiday craft works great in classrooms as well as with small children as home. It also can be used to complement the story of Hansel and Gretel.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• Plastic sandwich bag
• Scissors
• Graham crackers
• Small plate
• Chocolate bar
• Gumdrops
• Candy-coated chocolate circles
• Marshmallows (small, regular and jumbo)
• Toothpicks
• Sprinkles
• Teddy bear--shaped graham crackers
• Plastic knife
• Food coloring
• Small milk carton (clean)

Instructions

1. Add 1 tbsp. of milk to 2 cups of confectioners' sugar. Continue adding the milk 1 or 2 tbsp. at a time until the frosting is thick.

2. Place half the icing in a plastic sandwich page. Cut off one corner of the bag so you can squeeze the icing through the hole and make designs and piping.

3. Spread a thick layer of icing around the milk carton.

4. Press sections of graham cracker to cover all four sides of the milk carton. Put two large crackers on the sloped top of the carton for a rook. Allow the graham cracker house to set for a few moments before decorating.

5. Put a layer of white icing on a small plate to resemble snow.

6. Press the graham cracker--covered milk carton on the plate, and pipe a line of white icing along the corners of the house and roof to cover any open spaces between the graham crackers.

7. Cut or break a rectangle of the chocolate bar to make a door. Squirt icing on the back and press it to the graham cracker gingerbread house.

8. Slice colored gumdrops in half and layer them on the roof to make shingles. You also can spread a layer of icing on the roof and add sprinkles to make it look like a snow-covered roof.

9. Make a walkway leading from the chocolate door with small chocolate candies as pebbles. Place large green gumdrops around the yard for bushes and flowers. Stick teddy bear--shaped graham cookies into the icing so they stand up.

10. Stick a toothpick into a jumbo marshmallow, then slide a medium marshmallow onto the toothpick. Add a small marshmallow at the top. Use icing to decorate the snowman and place him in the "snow" icing beside the house.

Tips & Warnings

• Use food coloring to make separate batches of green, red or gold icing for decorating.

• Let the kids make a whole town of gingerbread houses for a Christmas table or party.

• If you add too much milk, the frosting will be too thin for the craft. Add more sugar to stiffen it up.

• Do not make large quantities of icing at first. Make the icing a little at a time as you use it so it won't dry out or get too stiff.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish