Waffle cone tree To do this window, you put the yellow on first, then the candle, and then the white. You have to think ahead and plan the order of adding things.

This type of design, just using candy instead of icing techniques, will get you a passing grade but not much better. This would be the design a child would make… not a culinary artist. Use your skills. You can make borders; basket weave; use a grass tip for grass or straw or a grass hut; use various tips; mold sugar; …be creative!

Marshmallow snowmen with gumdrop hats

Cookies and graham crackers are used here

Slivered almonds, thin mints, flat candies, or cereal make good shingles Some pieces may be made with cookie cutters

Frosted mini-wheats cereal for shingles Looks like this could be a snowman made out of fondant.

The roof and the chimney are covered in ruffles, using your 104 rose tip Royal icing can be mixed to a soft consistency, and dragged down to form icicles; it dries quickly and hardens

You have to think about your structure and your landscaping

Until the icing hardens, you may have to be creative in bracing your structure at various points throughout the construction. Did you see the windows? They look like stained glass or colored light…but are actually colored lollipop candy syrup poured out and cooled in pieces that are attached to the inside. Be careful on corners. You have to cover areas of these up with frosting or trim. The gingerbread can be left brown and decorated or, more commonly in fabulous creations, the entire house is frosted and decorated.

Great gingerbread houses often have a theme. What will your theme be? Hawaiian beach hut? Cinderellas carriage? Santas house at the north pole? The reindeers barn? Haunted house? Christmas cottage? A dog house? Log cabin? A store, such as a candy store or music store? Be creative!

To create round forms, you may have to bake your dough on the outside of a pan or bowl!

Avoid over decorating. Here, there are so many decorations, the structure seems sloppy and cluttered. Simple structures, perfectly detailed, are better. Oops…. They broke the biggest rule in gingerbread artistry. Everything should be edible.

Cotton candy?

Sunflower seeds and Pretzel sticks