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This is the first gingerbread house I ever made (circa 1982). As you can see, my decorating skills were very limited. I also forgot to put on very much candy. I bet you can't find more than 10 pieces, pretty sparce. Unless you are an expert cake decorator, expect the same level of results with your house, but hopefully, more candy than my house; but take heart, you will get better with practice. After all, we all fell down when we were first learning to ride a bicycle. (Click on the photo to see a more detailed view.)

Here is a magnificent Victorian style gingerbread mansion. Notice this house has very little candy. It is mainly decorated with piped icing. Wow! It will take a great amount of decorating skills to achieve a mansion of this perfection. This picture was obtained from the book entitled The Gingerbread Book, Ed. Allen D. Bragdon, New York: Arco Publishing, 1984, ISBN #0-916410-08-0. It is a great reference book. (Click on the photo to see a more detailed view.)

This is the house that started it all, Wilton's "Elf House." Here you see one way to decorate this basic house design. I recommend you start with this pattern. The design is simple to handle and produces great results. This picture and the one that follows come from a cake decorating book by Eugene T. and Marilynn Sullivan Celebrate! Christmas with Wilton, 1st Ed., Woodridge, Illinois, Wilton Enterprises, Inc., 1982, ISBN #0-912696-21-4. The book includes a "to scale" pattern, recipes, and step-by-step instructions. It is the greatest gingerbread book I have ever found. If you want to be successful baking with gingerbread, this is the book for you. It is the only book you will ever need. If you are not able to locate the book (it is now out of print), Wilton is selling the Second Edition; but, don't get excited. I purchased the book from Wilton's Web Site, a very nice site by the way. The book has very little about making true gingerbread houses. It contains Christmas meals cooking, baking Christmas treats like cookies and candies, recipes, but very few gingerbread ideas. If you believe you might like to give this design a try, here's the pattern. (Click on the photo to see a more detailed view.) (© 2001 Wilton Industries, Inc.)

Here is another version of the "ELf House." With just a few decorating changes, this house has a completely different personality. The is the same pattern as the Elf House above. Again, if you believe you might like to give this design a try, here's the pattern. (Click on the photo to see a more detailed view.) (© 2001 Wilton Industries, Inc.)

Here is the cutiest little sleigh you can make! It's real charm is that it's very easy. It is easy to cut, assemble and decorate. Make this one your first project. If you believe you might like to give this design a try, here's the pattern. (Click on the photo to see a more detailed view.) (© 2001 Wilton Industries, Inc.)

Who said a gingerbread house had to be a single family dwelling? Here's the project for all you city people. With the basic pattern perhaps you can shape the building into the resemblance of your apartment complex. If you believe you might like to give this design a try, here's the pattern. (Click on the photo to see a more detailed view.) (© 2001 Wilton Industries, Inc.)