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DIY· Home Tour· Projects· Recipe

Little House Christmas Laura’s Gingerbread Log Cabin

Happy greetings dear friends! Has your holiday baking gotten underway? As part of the Little House Christmas series today I am sharing the Little House Christmas Laura’s Gingerbread Log Cabin.

Little House Christmas Laura’s Gingerbread Log Cabin

Little House Christmas Laura’s Gingerbread Log Cabin

If you are looking for perfection, you won’t find it in this post.

This is all about hands of all ages having fun.

Gingerbread Log Cabin

Gingerbread Log Cabin Pattern

There are a few schools of thought on making gingerbread houses. The most time-consuming version is to make a homemade recipe of gingerbread and layer the batter thinly on cookie sheets. Once baked and cooled you can then cut out gingerbread pattern pieces to construct a house. Royal icing is generally used to hold the pieces together as it dries to a very strong hold.

Gingerbread house template

Laura Ingalls Wilder Gingerbread recipe

Did you know that Laura Ingalls Wilder was famous for her gingerbread? I’ve included her original recipe if you’d like to make it yourself. It’s delicious!

Laura Ingalls Wilder Gingerbread recipe

There are also pre-made gingerbread pieces that come in kits that you can put together. They can be found at most grocery and craft stores and cost around $10.

Being short on time this mom went for a third option and selected a house already put together, ready to decorate. It was found at Target, in the bakery department, on sale for $9.99.

To make a log cabin version you will also need one package of pretzel rods and one bag of Chex Muddy Buddies.

Little House Kitchen cabin

A wide variety of embellishments can also be added to the house. My kids and I wanted to keep the log cabin fairly plain and used just a few of these decorations found at the grocery store for $3.00.

Gingerbread Log Cabin candy decor

While royal icing can be found in pre-made bags, as shown above, you can easily make your own batch and use a sturdier bag as well as a wider variety of decorating tips. For this cabin the medium piping and star tips were used.

Gingerbread Log Cabin piping tips

The Construction Process

We started with the bottom of the roof. One small glob of icing can hold a muddy buddy cereal square. The next row is slightly layered on top of the next to create the “snowy shingles”.

On each side of the house, an older child can squeeze the piping bag to add the frosting and one child can add the cereal square. If the house is placed in the center of a table you can have two children on one side and two on the other comfortably working on the cabin.

Little House Kitchen gingerbread construction

We then added the “logs” next. An adult should use a cutting board and a serrated knife to cut the pretzels to size. I found that a slow “sawing” method worked beautifully.  Once again one child can add the long strip of piped icing and a second child can press the “log” onto the icing to hold it. The pretzels are not perfectly shaped. There will be gaps which can later be filled in with more icing.

Little House Kitchen pretzel logs

This is what the side of the house looked like once extra icing was added in between the logs. A desire for “icicles” resulted in some additional icing being applied to the roof.

We were not aiming for perfection. We were aiming for fun. 🙂

Gingerbread Log Cabin

The Icing

The star piping tip was used to create snowflake like “snow” around the base of the cabin to cover the cardboard the house rested on.

The candy decorations are easily applied to the house by just applying a bit of icing to the back of the candy. 

Gingerbread Log Cabin icing

For our finished vignette we also included a tin cup of peppermint sticks. Both were Christmas gifts cherished by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

“Something was shining bright in the top of Laura’s stocking. She squealed and jumped out of bed. So did Mary, but Laura beat her to the fireplace. And the shining thing was a glittering new tin cup. Mary had one exactly like it … Then they plunged their hands into the stockings again. And they pulled out two long, long, sticks of candy. It was peppermint candy, striped red, and white.” ~ Little House on the Prairie pages 248-249

Finished Gingerbread Log Cabin

A Shiny Penny

When putting together the vignette I made sure that my children saw that at the bottom of the cup was a shiny penny.

“They had never even thought of such a thing as having a penny. Think of having a whole penny for your very own. Think of having a cup, and a cake, and a stick of candy and a penny. There had never been such a Christmas.” ~ Little House on the Prairie page 250

Gingerbread Log Cabin 107

My friends, I have to say that no matter how many times I read this certain passage in the story I tear up. It is such a beautiful lesson for everyone of all ages.

Little House Gingerbread Log Cabin

I’ll see you on Sunday with more “Little House” goodness.

Laura

Please enjoy all of the other posts in the “Little House” series.

cabin3

 Laura’s Patchwork Napkins

Little-House-Kitchen-085_thumb1

DIY Throw Pillows

063-002

 Christmas Tree and Decor

Gingerbread Log Cabin 040-001

 Log Cabin Tablecloth DIY

Little House Kitchen 059

 Red Mitten Garland

Little House Red Mittens 057

Little House Holiday Breakfast

Little House on the Prairie Christmas 013

Pioneer Christmas Dinner

The Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, ill. by Garth Williams:

A Little Gift For You

cabin2

Becoming Laura Costume Challenge

Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder 246

Little House Pillowcases

Andover pillowcases 083-003

The Homes of Laura Ingalls Wilder

LH

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12.16.16

« A Little House Christmas Red Mitten Garland
Love in a Little House A Log Cabin Tablecloth »

Comments

  1. Botanic Bleu says

    December 16, 2016 at 9:40 am

    Laura,
    This is adorable! Using pretzels for logs is pure genius. Had to pin it.

    Merry Christmas,
    Judith

  2. GSGreatEscaper says

    December 16, 2016 at 11:56 am

    Ever since the wonderful day when our local educational television station (WGBH!) sent me a copy of Little House in the Big Woods, I've been a fan of Laura Ingalls. And now I'm a fan of Laura Ingalls Gunn too. Merry Christmas!

  3. Celestina Marie says

    December 16, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    Hi Laura, this is an adorable log cabin gingerbread house. Love it made from pretzels for the log cabin idea. You make everything special!! So sweet displayed in your pretty kitchen. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend. xo

  4. ellen b says

    December 17, 2016 at 12:38 am

    Love your gingerbread log cabin!

  5. thepaintedapron.com says

    December 17, 2016 at 6:51 pm

    Totally adorable! Love the icicles! the pretzels and chex add wonderful texture, really cute!
    Jenna

  6. Michele @ The Nest at Finch Rest says

    December 18, 2016 at 2:37 am

    Laura,

    Your sweet gingerbread Little House cabin is adorable – you did a wonderful job with it!

    I have never made one – one of these I may have to try it!

    Thank you for sharing that treasured recipe. I love gingerbread cake with a dollop of freshly whipped cream – yum yum yum.

    Merry Christmas and New Year Blessings to you and yours!

    Hugs,

    Michele

  7. Daniela says

    December 18, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    Another post of yours about the Little House series which charms me more and more, you know me, don't you, dearie, I'm writing the truth 🙂 !
    Your Gingerbread Log Cabin has filled my heart with such a gladness, I think it is the same you all have felt preparing it, thank you for sharing your little masterpiece with us !

    Wishing you all my best for your Holiday Season,
    may it be Peaceful and Joy-filled as never before,
    with much love and gratitude

    Xx Dany

  8. Pat@Life At Lydias House says

    December 20, 2016 at 5:30 am

    I'm just now catching up on your posts. I love this Little House Christmas series but this one may be my favorite! What a great family project!! Merry Christmas!

  9. Jeanie says

    December 20, 2016 at 1:29 pm

    This is so cute! One day we'll do this with our “baby” — but he'll have to get a few years older first. (Well, first he has to get born — that's February!).

    I did my first round of baking and gave pretty much all of it away so today I'm back in the kitchen. Ho Ho Ho! All fun.

  10. Katie Mansfield says

    December 20, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    I've made one gingerbread house and it was a fail. Yours looks amazing. I love the “logs.” So cute.

  11. Mildred says

    December 22, 2016 at 4:04 pm

    Very charming!

  12. kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen says

    December 23, 2016 at 9:53 pm

    The log house is just darling!!!!

Hi, I’m Laura Ingalls Gunn

Welcome to Decor To Adore! I love flea markets, tea parties, classic literature and dachshunds.

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