pre-made gingerbread houses

[drcmk]

Does anyone know where I can buy pre-made gingerbread house kits in bulk? I'd like our Girl Scout troop to decorate some but the regular price for the Wilton houses ($12.99) is steep for a dozen girls.

 

[WDWHo]

How about trying something like this:

http://crafts.kaboose.com/miniature-gingerbread-house.html

They are quicker, stay together easier and cheap!!!

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I used to work at a museum that ran "shopping day out" camps in November and December (the museum was located downtown so it was easy for parents to drop off their kids for the day and do their Christmas shopping - sadly, the museum closed in January ) and we always did gingerbread houses with the kids. We got out houses from Ikea, for $4.99. If you live near an Ikea, I'd check with your local store to see if the holiday merchandise is in yet.

We also always hot glued the houses together beforehand, to make our lives easier. But we also had kids ranging in age from 4-12, so just decorating the house was enough of a challenge for the little ones, let alone putting it together.

Good luck!

 

[Brer Shay]

Don't know what the timing of your plans are, but AC Moore and Michael's have them for $3.99 or $4.99 on Black Friday - at least for the last three years.

Another option we used for one of my son's class activities - second grade, was to make a winter scene using graham crackers instead of gingerbread pieces. It's the same idea, just a bit smaller. Then the kids made whole yards, some with ponds and fences and walkways. It was a lot of fun and certainly not all that expensive.

 

[woodkins]

I'm also a brownie leader and we got ours from a local shop called Gingerbread University. They do birthday parties etc. Prior to that we used to get them from our local bakery. They sold them to us for a very very low cost (like $20 for 15 houses) and then we bought the frosting, candies etc.

 

[hmcfall711]

Oriental Trading has some in their Christams crafts catelog. I am sure you could search on their website.

www.orientaltrading.com

 

[TupperMom7]

We made them using graham crackers before and they came out cute.

 

[uromac]

Hi -

FYI - Trader Joe's also has them for around $7 dollars - if there is one near you.

 

[Earstou]

My ds made the graham cracker houses last year in his high school German class. Some of the kids got creative and made them really big. They all had a blast doing it (surprised me since they are hs aged!).

 

[pjtm]

watch for the Halloween sales - Wilton does a Haunted House one. The houses are already pre-assembled. Can't tell they are "haunted". Just use other candies.

 

[DebMcDonald]

In years past I've been very disappointed in the ones that you buy at Michael's and AC Moore (Wilton's) so the past two years we have bought one from our local bakery and just have the kids decorate it, that's the best part anyway.

Old school thought and this would be very easy with a brownie troop is getting the little milk cartons from school and using that as your base and then adding the graham crackers over that.

 

[mom2cookies]

I've done the graham cracker houses with little kids. I got my teen age daughters to act as " gluers" with bags of icing made with merangue powder. ( the icing gets hard after it dries and holds houses together better then buttercream. It tastes like those dots candy that you get on a roll of paper) Below are some photos of the ones we made. The decorators of these houses are all around 6 years old.

 

[r4blessings]

Hi Kyrsta! I am also on Long Island (our east on the south shore) Did you get them from Gingerbread U up in Baiting Hollow? I 've gone there a few times, but it has been expensive, and I'd also like to do this with my new daisy troop. (We start today, its my first time being a leader). But I am wondering if it is the same place, and if they would give me a similar discount. Thanks for your help!

And the graham cracker ones look adorable!!!

 

[leenie715]

I have been to Gingerbread University with my own kids and it is always a lot of fun. I am planning on taking my Brownie troop in December. We are taking $10 out of troop funds and them having parents pitch in the other $15 for the gingerbread house. It is easier than doing it at our own meeting because you leave the mess there and they always provide tons of candy. Have fun!!

 

[Calliaz]

I know our preschool used to get them from the grocery store bakery. It wasn't advertized, but they would make the gingerbread pieces and give frosting, etc.