Crafty Cuteness: Make an Easy Paper Gingerbread House

Often my paper crafts can be somewhat involved, but this one is not. This paper gingerbread house is surprisingly easy, I mean, really easy. The most involved task is cutting out the gingerbread pattern with your cutting machine. If you don't have a cutting machine, you can use the plain version of the pattern and have fun drawing the gingerbread pattern with a white gel pen or puffy paint.

P.S. There is a bonus set of files so you can turn this little house into a gift box.

Here's how you make this easy paper gingerbread house.

What do you need to make the Easy Paper Gingerbread House?

• A way to cut out your pattern - I used a Cricut Maker, but it works well with the Cricut Explore Air, Cricut Joy Xtra, and even the Cricut Joy.
• Cardstock in various colors - I used red, white, and brown
• Vellum - optional if you want light to shine through your little house
• Cricut scoring stylus or scoring wheel
• Glue - I love this glue because it comes out easily and adheres quickly
• Cardboard for the base - optional
• Metal ruler - to help you fold the pieces
• Design No. 150 in the Paper Glitter Glue library

Basic Steps to Make the Easy Paper Gingerbread House

1. Download the free pattern - Easy Paper Gingerbread House Design No. 150 in the Paper Glitter Glue library
2. Unzip the file folder
3. Upload the file to your cutting machine
4. Convert the red score lines to SCORE under the operations menu in Cricut Design Space
5. Attach the score lines to the appropriate piece
6. Glue the background pieces to all the house and roof pieces
7. Construct the house
8. Adhere the roof to the house
9. Apply the chimney to the roof of the house
10. If desired, make a base (cardboard or cardstock) adhere to the house
11. How to make the gift box version

Download the Easy Paper Gingerbread House - Design No. 150

The pattern for the Easy Paper Gingerbread House is Design No. 150 and is free in the Paper Glitter Glue library. It's available as SVG files and PDF files.

To get access to the library, simply go to this page, click the orange button in the middle of the library page. That takes you to the password page.

On the password page, type in the password and voila! you have access to the library.

I include the password in every newsletter email. If don't already have the password, then just subscribe with the form below and you will get the password right away.

Unzip the File Folder

All my files are stored in the library in a compressed format - in a zip folder.

To unzip the file folder, follow these instructions:

• Here's how to unzip a folder using an iPad or iPhone.
• To learn how to unzip a folder using a Windows computer, click here. 
• To learn how to unzip a folder with an Android device, click here. 
• To learn how to unzip a folder using a Mac, click here.

Upload the file to your cutting machine

After you unzip the folder, upload the file to your cutting machine. It is listed as the Easy Paper Gingerbread House paperglitterglue SVG.svg. That file has all the pieces in it.

If you are cutting by hand, use the PDF plain version because it is so much simpler to cut.

Convert the red score lines to SCORE under the operations menu in Cricut Design Space

When using a cutting machine like the Cricut, the most important function for making a 3D project like a little house is score lines.

Glue the background pieces to all the house and roof pieces

These are the front piece and the roof piece without the background piece added.

Please note that the background pieces are slightly smaller than the section of the house that they adhere to. That's to make sure that the edges of the background pieces do not interfere with the score lines on the folds.

In order to place the background pieces easier, always fold along all the score lines before you glue them in place.

The background piece gives contrast to the all the gingerbread cutouts on the house.

Using a good glue with a small tip, apply glue to the house, then adhere the background pieces, making sure that you don't cover up the score lines.

If you want light to shine through the windows of your Easy Gingerbread House, use a copy paper or vellum so the light will shine through. Card stock is too thick to really allow light to show.

Construct the house

Now that you have your house pieces cut out with background pieces in place, it's time for constructions. This is where it gets fun for me.

I construct this house just like I do all my houses. First, apply glue to the glue tabs on the back piece. Adhere to the sides of the front piece. Let dry.

Here's the other side of the back piece with glue applied.

Next glue down the roof tabs to the roof flaps. Remember that the roof flaps are not the actual roof, but a structural element to make the roof stronger and helps maintain the shape of the house. The roof tabs go on TOP of the roof flaps. Let dry.

Adhere the roof to your Easy Paper Gingerbread House

Next apply glue to the top of the house to adhere the roof.

Center the roof over the house and apply gentle pressure to help it adhere. Let dry.

Glue the chimney to the roof

You make the chimney just like you do the house - fold along all the score lines, attach the background piece, and glue along the side glue tab.

To adhere to the roof, simply apply glue to the angled bottom of the chimney piece and adhere to the roof. Let dry.

If desired, make a base (cardboard or cardstock) adhere to the house

I like all my houses to have a sturdy base to protect them and to help them stand more securely. For that reason, I included a base pattern in your cut file. I like to make my bases out of cardboard, but you can certainly use card stock. If you use card stock though, glue 3 layers together. It needs to be sturdy.

And if you like this gingerbread cottage, you will also like the Ginger Gables house. It's adds to your Christmas decor.

The one on the right is a prototype, I added more ornamentation to the final version of Ginger Gables which you see on the left.

Turn this house into a Gift Box

I modified the design to make it into a Gingerbread House gift box - it's a little more practical so you can make even more of them. It's design no. 152 in the Paper Glitter Glue library.

The full tutorial for making the Gingerbread House Gift Box can be found here.

My sister made 8 of these to give little gifts for her book club. They loved them.