Holiday Houses - Made Simple

It's that magical time of the year full of holiday cheer, hot cocoa and yummy delicious treats! And what holiday season is complete without Gingerbread Houses!? This year though we introduce to you, Holiday Houses - made simple using ... drum roll please ... Pop Tarts!

This year, the year of 2020 has everything a bit topsy-turvy, nothing is quite what it seems. I've seen this idea floating around on Pinterest and YouTube for a few years and decided what better time than now. So in true 2020 fashion we decided to try something a little different this year. We said goodbye to our traditional gingerbread house and hello to this DIY bad boy!

Recipe or Craft?

Now, I know you may be thinking ... wait, is this a recipe or is this a craft? I dare say it is both. And I remind you, life is always better when you can play with your food! So pull up a chair and get ready for one of my favorite holiday festivities. Plus, after using pop tarts I am sure you will never go back to any other kind of house building materials. There are just so many perks to these toaster treats.

Variety of Colors & Flavors:

Great way to fully customize the experience. Everyone can have a different holiday house based on their favorite colors or taste preferences. If needing a little inspiration check out more than 20 different options right here.

Three Ingredients:

Pop Tarts, powdered sugar and water. Done.

Bigger, Sturdier Houses:

Look how much larger and thicker these are than graham crackers. Honestly I don't know why we haven't used these sooner.

Comes Pre-Decorated:

I mean seriously, how cute are these with the frosting and the sprinkles?! Talk about a huge plus already being semi decorated. You could easily leave a holiday house as is after assembling. No extra decorations required.

How do you make a Gingerbread House using Pop Tarts?

Not a carpenter or much of a handyman? Don't be intimidated. First things first, we want to get our materials cut to size. Make sure to have a serrated knife handy. THIS IS KEY. Pressing down on the pop tarts too hard may cause them to crack. Gentle sawing motions will yield the best holiday houses.

1. Following the examples below place two pop tarts next to one another, one laying horizontally and the other butted up against it vertically. Using a serrated knife, carefully saw away at the top corners of the vertical pop tart using the horizontal pop tart as your guide. This will create slants for your roof to lay against.
2. Turn your horizontal pop tart side ways so the top edge meets the corner of the slant you just made and carefully saw off the over hanging edge so the second pop tart is now a square.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

3. Then you will want to repeat the first two steps. This should give you two of each piece, in addition to two whole pop tarts you will use for the roof pieces later.

What kind of icing do you use to make Gingerbread Houses?

4. Royal Icing is the simplest and best adhesive for your house. You want to prepare the royal icing using powdered sugar and water. Ideal icing will have a thicker consistency, more of a concrete or paste texture than a thin runny glue. If the icing is looking too thin, add more powdered sugar. Repeat this until the desired consistency is reached.

• 

• 

5. Using the royal icing, assemble your holiday house by placing one of the angled pop tart pieces face down. Apply a healthy amount of icing in a line where your first square side piece will go. Repeat this with the other side.
6. Next, carefully stand the house up and apply the second slanted piece so the base of the house is now assembled. Let this set for 5 minutes before applying the roof pieces.
7. Once dried use a generous amount of icing to apply the whole pop tarts to the top of the holiday house base, one side at a time. You will have to hold these pieces on for a moment to make sue they are secure.

Congratulations! Your house is now complete and ready to decorate!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Pro Chef - Mom Hack

If planning to decorate with young children I would definitely suggest making your structure before hand and giving it 3 or 4 hours to dry and really set up. This way your house stands a better chance against any bumping or shaking during the decorating process. Building the houses also requires a little more of a delicate touch than our toddlers were ready for. The next time we make these we will definitely assemble the houses ahead of time.

And if you are looking for something yummy to munch on while you wait for your house to dry, you've got to give some of our other fun holiday treats a go. Our toddlers love helping make these easy no bake Scotcheroo Bars or crushing up the cookies for this delicious no bake Oreo Cheesecake Pie.

Time to Deck the Halls

Now that your houses are built, it is time to decorate! Really, anything goes when it comes to decorating. Popcorn, cereal, candies, peppermints, pretzels, paper, powdered sugar, sprinkles, banana chips, you name it! Get creative with your decorating materials, go wild with your design.

There is definitely no right or wrong way to decorate a Holiday House. I will be the first to confess that we are not pro-decorators here. Where we may lack in skill or technique we make up for in fun and whimsy! Don't be afraid to let your guard down. We dare you to really make it your own. Throw caution to the wind and let creativity be your guide.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Holiday Sweet Tooth?

If these Holiday Houses - Made Simple have your sweet tooth craving more you definitely need to check out our classic yet simple Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. It is the perfect sweet treat for sharing with loved ones or leaving out for Santa with a big glass of ice cold milk! And we can't forget these ooey-gooey Caramel Rolls that are perfect for the holidays!