- Candy decorations. Unwrap all candy (except foil-wrapped) and place each type in a seaprate bowl. You don't want to be stuck unwrapping a candy cane while the royal icing begins to harden.
- Use an oatmeal box or something tall to set the house on while decorating. You have to stand to assemble a gingerbread house, but when decorating a gingerbread house, sit down with the house at eye level.
Decorating Ideas
- Foil-wrapped Santas, snowmen, toy soldiers, medallions, bells
- For shutters -- wafer cookies, Andes Mints, mini candy bars, sticks of gum
- For roofs -- nonpareils, gum drops, vanilla wafers, mini cookies, Necco Wafers, mini frosted Shredded Wheat
- For fences -- chocolate-covered pretzels, regular mini pretzels, mini cookies, mini teddy grahamas, mini gingerbread men, candy canes, Star Brite mints
- For an ice skating pond -- blue mints micorwaved on parchment paper until they melt
- For trees and bushes -- green leaves
- Snow -- confectioners' sugar or edible glitter (available at cake supply stores)
- Pile of logs -- mini Tootsie Rolls
