Gingerbread Architect: Gingerbread-By-Design/Loreta Wilson
Gingerbread Designer: Loreta Wilson
Cal Young Gingerbread House
The Cal Young Gingerbread House is inspired by the real house located at 1610 Cal Young Street, in Eugene, Oregon. While I liked the size and style of the house, I didn't like the front porch. So I didn't include it in the template.
The approximate footprint/size of this house is 18" wide x 7" deep x 9.5" tall. The Cal Young Gingerbread House is relatively simple to construct. The construction consists of building three structures that stack against each other to form the long house. Since these structures are all free-standing, the Cal Young Gingerbread House template essentially includes templates for three houses that can be arranged together, or separate... however you wish.
The Cal Young Gingerbread House was constructed back in the mid-2000's when I was looking for a local house to enter into the Eugene Festival of Trees.
Below is a list of the candy used to decorate the Cal Young Gingerbread House. My favorite design aspect of this house is the addition of the pond, and the bushes made from yummy cereal-marshmallow treats.
To decorate the windows, I used vanilla wafer cookies for the window shutters, and I made window boxes using tootsie roll candy and red frosting poinsettias.
The chimney's are decorated using a favorite candy of mine, the Necco candy, which is a very popular candy for gingerbread house decorating. The roofing is simply black frosting with sprinkled shredded coconut.
Adding children playing in the show is my favorite addition to any gingerbread house. For me, adding children playing brings the gingerbread display life. For the Cal Young Gingerbread House I used store bought marzipan, which feels like working with playdough.
Gingerbread House Architectural Style
The Architectural inspiration for this gingerbread house is the Eclectic Colonial Revival - Side Gable style house, with a normal pitched Open Gable roof, and several chimneys located on the roof slope.
In the 1940's, the FHA illustrated two ways to integrate a built-in garage into the main block of a side-gabled Colonial Revival house. The Cal Young Gingerbread House is an example of one of the methods.
Gingerbread House Special Design Elements
How-To instructions for special design elements can be found on the Gingerbread-By-Design Blog. I used the following special design element for the Cal Young Gingerbread House:
Gingerbread House Decorating Candy
Doesn't everybody have a box of left-over candy stored in their closet, at all times? I'm always scoping-out the perfect candy for my next gingerbread creation!
Candy used for the the Cal Young Gingerbread House:
Foundation: Necco candy
Walls: white Royal Icing
Roof: black Royal Icing with shredded coconut
Chimney: Necco candy
Porch: Rye Crackers
Window Shutters: vanilla Wafer cookies
Window Boxes: Tootsie Roll candy
Doors: Waffle cookies
Door Decor: green Gummy wreath
Front Walkway: Puffed Rice cereal
Bushes/Tree: Rice cereal and Marshmallows
Grass/Snow: Coconut and green sanding sugar
Pond: Poured Sugar and Pumpkin candy
Children: · Marzipan
Glitz and Sparkle: Silver dragees
Food Coloring: Red, Green, Multiple colors for children (marzipan)
Sanding Sugar: Green
Gingerbread House Templates
Download e-Template
Download the e-Template to your electronic device, print on your printer, cut-out the template pieces, cut your pieces from gingerbread dough, bake, and assemble per the instructions provided. All templates are full-size and ready to use. No enlarging required.
Pre-Printed and Shipped Template
Pre-printed templates are also available. These templates are pre-printed for you to then cut-out the template pieces, cut your pieces from gingerbread dough, bake, and assemble per the instructions provided. The pre-printed template packet includes:
Template printed on 67lb card stock
Supply and Candy List
Recipes, including number of batches needed
Rolling, Cutting, and Baking instructions
Assembly instructions with step-by-step pictures
Decorating suggestions, including design elements utilized
Ziplock storage bag to store your templates
All templates are full-size and ready to use. No enlarging required.
Gingerbread-By-Design provides The Best Gingerbread Templates! View the entire collection here!
Gingerbread House Pictures
More pictures of the Cal Young Gingerbread House are available at these locations:
Gingerbread-By-Design Photo Album
Flickr Photo Album
Did you make the Cal Young Gingerbread House and want to share your pictures? Click here to upload your pictures to be added to the Gingerbread-By-Design Photo Album!!
