OMG Rylan that lodge is awesome, i LOVE it!

Here is mine from last year, it is my second gingerbread house i have done so not as nice as some on here, not even as good as some firsts on here either LOL I didn't have much time to do it so i kept it semi simple

Elise! That's so precious!

thank you very much win I absolutely love your spring gingerbread potting shed, it is just so pretty and detailed!

Thanks Elise.

Yours is beautiful! I love love love the structure! I wonder how you got it so perfect. You better share your secrets this upcoming Xmas

Has anyone seen this? It's really sweet! http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1377331

This one hasn't been bumped in a while.

I plan to do a Haunted Gingerbread Mansion this year (even though I've never done a little one before, I'm ambitious. lol) for Halloween, and then, depending on how terribly that goes, I might enter one in a competition in November.

I actually came looking for book recommendations, but BWB has mostly taken care of that for me.

Anyone else planning anything this year?

That is so funny! I was just coming in to refresh this topic myself! You beat me to it cinderspritzer!!! I am hoping to do a Halloween House for the kids I baby-sit... I have a bazillion birthdays in October so I was thinking of starting now which would be fine, I'm sure, since my Spring House was baked for Christmas (never got around to doing it for Christmas so I switched to a Spring theme) and the gingerbread held fine for at least 4 months. Once it got humid, I had to toss it. I figure, we are moving out of the humidity again so I should be able to bake and keep it from wilting before Halloween.

As well, I will start planning my Christmas houses in November. Each year, my husband's family gathers on a large scale and I produce a house to be given away to the family who is hosting that year. Then I make little houses to give to all my kiddos --very traditional houses loaded with candy easy to pick off and pop into little mouths.

My main goal for my family this year is a Victorian Mansion. I found the pattern in a 1960's Good Housekeeping magazine (which by the way is a great source for old patterns... they used to feature one each Christmas.)

Happy Baking, gingerbread friends!

For those who has been looking for Franky's Attic, here is the new website:

http://ultimategingerbread.com/

There are tons of tips in there.

Thanks for sharing that Rylan!!

No problem bobwonderbuns! =]

Someone started another gingerbread thread here on CC -- let's see if we can't marry these two threads: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6593872.html#6593872

I got notification through my email there had been a reply to this topic, but it did not show up in my "watched topics" box here on cc.

I checked the other posting as well. Gingerbread is a vital sugar art... does anyone else think this original thread should be nominated as a "sticky?'" It's chock-full-o vital information for gingerbread enthusiasts.

Didn't have time to read the whole thread, but I thought I'd throw these in here. I LOVE doing gingerbread competitions, but don't know if I'll have time this year. ( There's a gorgeous 1920's hotel on the river near where I live that I've been wanting to re-create in gingerbread for about 3 years now... oh well, there's always next year....

Great thread!! I'm amazed by the wonderful structures you've all shared. Thanks!

I'm going to be making a gingerbread house to show and raffle off at a Christmas fair coming up at the end of November. I have my design ready, but I have a question: Does anyone know how to make a curved roof? I mean, so the slope has a whimisical curve to it. (not sure if that's clear... am thinking a little like a Japanese pagoda..?)

I'm wondering if I bake the gingerbread flat, take it out of the oven, quickly re-cut to get nice, clean lines, and then rest on a flexible cutting mat set at the right curve. Does that sound like it would work?

Thanks for any input from those more experienced than I!!

TubbsCookies:
You can actually bake it on PVC pipe. Just cut the pipe to your specifications then cover it in parchment for it to slide right off when done baking.

MBoyd: Awesome pics. Those structures are just saturated in color!

Hmm, thanks Win, but that will give me too much of a curve, I think. I just want a very gentle swoop. (You can put a PVC pipe in the oven? Interesting!)

I LOVE this thread--I am SO inspired! Thanks everyone--keep the ideas and tips coming, please!!!

I LOVE this thread--I am SO inspired! Thanks everyone--keep the ideas and tips coming, please!!!

MBoyd, those are awesome! I love the structure and the design! GREAT JOB!

Wendy, how get really clean seams on your gingerbread? I hate it when my gingebread sometimes bubble up an it looks uneven. Do you also cut it up one more time after it has baked while warm?

Thanks for the tip Win! Those will definitely come in handy next month.

I also have another question. Whenever I make my gingerbread houses, I use tons of royal icing to glue them together. The inside will usually look that it was filled with snow. I'm afraid mines will collapse.

Do you have any tips on the support? Especially for the bigger ones? How do I keep the outside clean?

I use tons of RI as well. If it oozes out into the front of the house, I take a damp paper towel and immediately smooth it down just as if I were caulking a bathtub.

There are times when November is still warm enough that I have humidity to deal with (gingerbread's arch enemy!) I support the inside of the walls with graham crackers or pretzel rods. Half the time the inside looks like a Swiss Chalet due to the paneling and beam work. I lay the walls out, coat them in RI, and lay the inner layer of support allowing "seams" so that when I go to build the walls, I have a groove wide enough for the vertical piping of the RI. That usually makes them strong enough to withstand just about anything.

[quote="Win"]I use tons of RI as well. If it oozes out into the front of the house, I take a damp paper towel and immediately smooth it down just as if I were caulking a bathtub. quote]

You just gave me an idea for a great holiday gift. They sell that caulking took set (as seen on TV) at Target. I think I'll get one for a gal I know that makes GB houses, for her edging.

Theresa

Thanks again Win. Good thing I don't have to deal with humidity here in Las Vegas since it's basically dry all year round. I was actually thinking of doing the gingerbread house brick by brick but I'm afraid it might now work.

I had some grand plans to build a haunted mansion for halloween but never really got up the motivation to do anything other than that.

Instead, I've printed out an entry form for a competition in November.... I've never baked any gingerbread in my life. Deadline for entry is next Friday, and I don't know if I'm brave enough to do it. So I guess I'll read the entry rules 900 times today and decide whether or not I'm that brave.

Well, I hope your gingerbread house turn out great. I've always wanted to join a competition.

Good luck!

I have a little "cheat" for using royal icing on my seams... instead of using white RI, I'll try to match it to the color of the gingerbread... at least that way the seams are much less noticeable.

What a neat idea. Now I know what to use. Thanks for sharing!