...Continued - Page 2 of 2 ( 1 2 ) Related Showrooms • SelectBlinds.com - The window blinds and shades America trusts • KnobsandHardware.com - Decorative Hardware for your Home • Renovation Experts - Put your home in good hands. Get FREE estimates on your project. • Sears - Kitchen Cabinet Remodeling and Refacing Step 5: Decorative Trim Add an extra bead of icing to the inside and outside of the gingerbread house corners. This will make the house stronger, and provide a finishing touch to all of the edges. Step 6: Roofing and Icing Apply a bead of icing along the top edges of the four walls, and set the two roof pieces in place. As in the previous step, apply an additional bead of icing along the roof edges for added stability. Building Tip: Now it is time to take a break and enjoy the eggnog while the icing dries. Wait until it is hard to the touch before decorating—too much candy too soon can cause structural flaws in your gingerbread house. Photo by Halldor Utne Step 7: Exterior Design When decorating your gingerbread house, pay special attention to the roof and front facade. The intricate filigreed trim work found on Victorian houses isn't called "gingerbread" by accident. Be creative with swirls and flourishes of icing but try to keep them symmetrical for a more realistic feel. The BobVila.com team's final result is pictured. Here are a few more tips from the office staff at BobVila.com! David Masher, design department: "Decorate from top to bottom. Incorporate any drips or slips as you work down the house!" Deb Alden, editorial department: "When decorating a gingerbread house, have fun and go overboard! Curlicues, finials, colors, and variations-on-a-theme are all fair game." Gordon Jones, design department: "Consider baking the dough first and then cutting to size. This can help ensure a good fit." Greg Vazzana, operations: "Use multiple colored Nonpareils for roofing shingles to create a Victorian style roof." Halldor Utne, information technology: "Use cotton as smoke for the chimney. Also, try powdered sugar for snow. And don't forget the sprinkles!" Melissa Marchand, sales and marketing department: "For a light dusting of snow on your roof and chimney, consider using unsweetened shaved coconut flakes." Trey Simmons, design department: "Add candles at night for a warm glow!" Dan Newberry, editorial department: Email a picture of your gingerbread house to info@bobvila.com! We'll post a collection of our favorites. Make sure to include at least your first name and where you live!

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