Parents Corner – Extreme Gingerbread Houses

For some, gingerbread crafting is a true art form–we’re talking the stuff that only professional bakers can pull off. We can only imagine how time consuming it would be to make these houses! Luckily, we’ve rounded up some of the most eye-catching gingerbread houses from around the web, so you can feast our eyes on these beauties–no baking skills required.

Up Gingerbread House
This clever house looks just like the one featured in Pixar’s hit movie Up. From the “grass” made out of toasted coconut to the rice paper curtains, this house makes every detail count.

White House
The White House gingerbread house is a tradition that’s been going on since the Carter administration. We think last year’s rendition was awesome–check out the First Dog Bo in the front yard, not to mention the cool candy forest surrounding the house.

Gingerbread Typewriter
Who says your gingerbread creation has to be a house? This entry in Le Parker Meridien’s Gingerbread Extravaganza puts a new twist on the holiday tradition. We love the bright colors and playful letters–this is one clever way to encourage kids to write!

Gingerbread Castle
We love the faux brick and festive wreath details on this extravagant castle by Dianne Rockwell. A super detailed three-headed dragon straight out of a fantasy story tops it all off.

Land of Misfit Toys
This cute gingerbread house combines an iconic building at the National Institutes of Health with everyone’s favorite reindeer and all of his friends. Watch out for the Abominable Snowman in the background!

Gingerbread Lighthouse
Even your gingerbread house can have a little taste of the sea, as shown by this creation by Julie Young. The colorful candies add a sweet touch of color, along with the snow-covered trees.

Wizard of Oz
How impressive is this Wizard of Oz-inspired display? We love the way the house is resting on the cyclone, not to mention the adorable lollipop forest.

Valentine Gingerbread House
Here’s a cute idea–combine a couple of holidays for an extra special gingerbread house. This creation is super sweet down to the last detail, from the heart-shaped roof tiles to the glittery snowman in the front yard.

Two-Story Gingerbread House
This giant house at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco is straight out of a fairytale! The sweet spectacle was made out of an impressive 5,500 pieces of gingerbread, 850 pounds of icing, and 425 pounds of chocolate.

Noah’s Gingerbread Ark
Here’s one clever way to teach the kids about Noah’s ark–show it to them in gingerbread form! The ark is decked out with elephants, ducks, and giraffes (oh my!).

Charlie Brown Gingerbread House
We love seeing our all-time favorite cartoon characters transformed into gingerbread, and this adorable display, complete with a mini Christmas tree and lights adorning Snoopy’s doghouse, is no exception.

Disney Gingerbread House
Disney doesn’t do anything halfway–including this huge gingerbread house, which pops up every year at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Disney World. We’ve only got one question: how do you keep the kiddos from nibbling on it as they walk by?

Gingerbread Hotel
This impressive gingerbread creation can be found at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, California–and bears an uncanny resemblance to the hotel itself!

The Benson Hotel’s Gingerbread House
Every year the Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon creates a new eye-catching gingerbread house. Here’s last year’s version, complete with 100 pounds of gingerbread and 25 pounds of white chocolate and marzipan.

Sugar Castle
This drool-worthy sugar creation is on display at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. Weighing in at over 1300 pounds, we can only imagine how long it took to craft this one!

Gingerbread Village Mountain
Holy icing Batman! This is a veritable gingerbread fortress–72 pounds of dough covered in 900 pounds of sugar icing–complete with Santa’s Workshop, Snow Tube Rental, Ski-Daddle Ski School, the list goes on. This yuletide behemoth makes its home at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad and truly is a sight to behold…just not tasted.