Easy DIY 3D Gingerbread House Ornaments + Free Printable Template

This year, upgrade your Christmas decor with DIY Gingerbread house ornaments using my FREE 3D gingerbread ornaments and gift tags! Crafting these charming ornaments is simple, and they’re versatile enough to adorn your gifts, embellish your Christmas tree, or elevate your festive decorations.

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I love creating homemade ornaments and beautiful Christmas decor. With the arrival of the holiday season, it feels like the perfect time to clear out a few old decorations and make space for some fresh, new creations.

If you love homemade holiday decor too, you’re going to adore these easy DIY gingerbread house ornaments. They look like tiny storybook cottages on your tree, and they’re surprisingly simple to make.

With my free printable template, you can decorate each little house to match your holiday style. Just print the template, cut, fold, and decorate.

This is one of those cozy crafts that’s perfect for finishing on a quiet afternoon at home, making with your grandchildren, or creating with a few friends during a festive girls’ night holiday crafting party.

I’m also joining a few of my talented blogging friends to share a collection of beautiful free printables that you can use anytime.

You’ll find links to all of their creative designs at the end of this post, so be sure to keep reading to see the full collection.

Why You’ll Love These DIY Gingerbread House Ornaments

There’s something so charming about creating your own little collection of handmade gingerbread houses, and this project is one you’ll want to come back to year after year. Here’s why these sweet ornaments are such a favorite:

Easy to Make

The free printable template does all the heavy lifting, so you can go from printing to decorating in just a few easy steps.

Budget friendly

You probably already have most of the supplies on hand—cardstock, glue, scissors, and a bit of puff paint. It’s an inexpensive way to add something special to your holiday decorating.

Easily customizable

Every little house can be different. Try classic white “icing,” metallic details, glittery snow, or print on kraft paper for a true gingerbread look. You can even create an entire village.

Beautiful and versatile

Use them as gift toppers, tuck them into stockings, or give a set as a sweet homemade present. Everyone loves a little handcrafted holiday magic.

Supplies Need to Make DIY Gingerbread House Ornaments

How to Easy Make DIY Gingerbread House Ornaments

I’ve always loved the charm of gingerbread decor, so I wanted an ornament that captured that sweet, cozy look without being complicated. Instead of making salt dough or clay pieces, I designed a simple printable gingerbread house you can cut, fold, and decorate in just a few minutes.

They’re lightweight, easy to embellish with puff paint, and adorable on any Christmas tree.

And because crafting is always more fun when it’s shared, I made these templates for you, too, so you can create your own little collection of gingerbread houses year after year.

Let’s get started on these cute and reusable DIY gingerbread house ornaments.

Step 1: Download Your Gingerbread House Printables

First, download my free printable gingerbread house template. I do not have a great printer at home, so I sent mine to FedEx to print for around $1.00 a house. It was super easy to do!

Step 2: Cut Our Your Printables

Next, using a pair of sharp scissors, cut along the red dotted line to cut out your printable gingerbread houses.

You will want to cut out the solid red triangle on the right side of the house that you see on the printout. (see image above)

Step 3: Score and Fold the Gingerbread Houses

Then, score the black lines with an x-acto knife. Be sure you do not cut through the paper!

Fold each of the side tabs of your house on the scored black lines.

This is what your house should like like as you fold each section.

Step 4: Glue Your DIY Gingerbread House Ornaments Together

Next, it is time to glue the house together. 

You can use a hot glue gun or a glue stick. 

Start by adding a little bit of glue on the left side to tab A and attach it to the left side of the small house. 

Then place a small amount of glue on the front tab of the base (tab B) of the house and attach it to the front of the gingerbread house.

Now, you can place a small amount of glue on the last tab (tab C) on the bottom right and the side of the front tab (D) to attach the right side of the house.

This is what your DIY gingerbread house ornament should look like once all your walls are glued together.

Step 5: Attach the Gingerbread House Roof

To assemble the roof, you want to first punch the holes if you are going to use these as gingerbread house tree ornaments. (Note: I did not mark these holes in case you wanted to create a village with these houses.)

Then punch a single hole in the side that does not have a fold line.

Next, place the tab under the other side of the roof and punch a hole in the tab. 

Lastly, punch a hole on the other side of the roof opposite the first hole. (See the images above for reference.)

To add your ribbon, insert a stiff piece of wire through the end of your ribbon to feed it through the holes.

Step 6: Add Some Puff Paint

Finally, it is time to add some puff paint! This is so much fun and a great way to add your own personal touch to your gingerbread houses.

You can follow my design on the houses or look at some of the pictures to see how I added intricate details to them.

Use your paint to outline the windows, doors, and add some snow to the roofline. 

If you paint a layer of the puff paint, place it on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet to dry, and then you can add a second layer for more depth. 

Ways to Customize Your DIY Gingerbread House Ornaments

Here are a few ideas to make your houses customizable and personalized. 

• Personalized Touches: Consider incorporating personal elements, such as initials or a family name on the house, to make it uniquely yours.
• Add Glitter: When the puff paint is wet, sprinkle some glitter or cinnamon on the paint for a bit of sparkle and texture.
• Add Candy Decorations: Add small peppermint candies or mini gumdrops to your house for a sweet touch.

Creative Gingerbread House Styling Ideas

There are so many creative ways to style your homemade gingerbread ornaments. Here is a list of a few of my favorites.  

• Hang the houses on your Christmas tree.
• Create a whimsical holiday village.
• Place the little gingerbread houses on Christmas packages. 
• Tie the houses to a garland. 
• Add them to a winter wreath. 

A Special BONUS: More DIY Gingerbread House Printables

If you love this gingerbread house craft, I have also created some darling Christmas gift tags and additional gingerbread-themed printables to match your faux gingerbread house ornaments.

• Gift Tags
• An assortment of one dimension gingerbread houses. 
• Free coloring pages for the little ones.

DIY Air Dry Clay Gingerbread Ornaments

Click Here

13 DIY Dried Orange Ornaments

Click Here

How to Make Mushroom Ornaments

Click Here

Wrapping Up

In closing, making these free, DIY, printable gingerbread houses is a fun way to unite the entire family. Get into the festive spirit, be creative, and have a great time making these neutral colored gingerbread houses. They’re a lovely addition to your holiday celebrations, adding cheer and warmth.

Enjoy the crafting and please share your images with me, I love to see what you create.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Four Seasons Winter Printable Collection

Enjoy this new quarterly collectible series of seasonal prints for you to display, craft with, or style as home decor.

Be sure to visit each blogger’s site below to grab your FREE download!

Southern Crush at Home / Amy Sadler Designs / The Tattered Pew / Jennifer Rizzo / Mother Thyme

WM Design House / The Ruffled Daisy / Our Tiny Nest / She Gave It A Go /Hammons Nest

Print SaveSaved!

Yield: 1 House

FREE PRINTABLE GINGERBREAD HOUSE ORNAMENTS

Make these charming 3D paper gingerbread house ornaments with my free printable template and step-by-step tutorial for this DIY craft.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Cost$1.00

Equipment

• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Hole punch

Materials

• Print the Houses on 80 lb. white card stock you have them printed at FedEx for around $1.00 a page
• Glue sticks I used hot glue sticks, but you could use a regular glue stick
• White puff paint or homemade puff paint or you can use a white paint pen.
• 3/8 inch wide ribbon I used velvet ribbon or a piece of twine to use as an ornament hanger

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Download my free printable gingerbread house template. I do not have a great printer at home, so I sent mine to FedEx to print for around $1.00 a house. Be sure to print these on 80 lb. white cardstock.
• Cut on the red dotted line Using a pair of sharp scissors.
• You will want to cut out the solid red triangle on the right side of the paper. 
• Score the black lines with an X-acto knife. Be sure you do not cut through the paper!
• Fold on the black lines where you just scored the lines. 
• Now comes the fun part, where we will glue the house together. 
• You can use a hot glue gun or a glue stick. 
• Add a little bit of glue on the left side of the small white tab and attach it to the left side of the small house. 
• Place a small amount of glue on the front tab of the base of the house and attach it to the front of the gingerbread house.
• Now, you can place a small amount of glue on the last tab on the bottom right and the side of the front to attach the right side of the house.
• To assemble the roof, you want first to punch holes if you use these as gingerbread house tree ornaments. 
• Punch a single hole in the side that does not fold over first. 
• Next, place the tab under the other side of the roof and punch a hole in the tab. 
• Now punch a hole on the other side of the roof opposite the first hole. See images. 
• Add some puff paint. This is so much fun and a great way to add your personal touch to your gingerbread houses.
• You can follow my design on the houses or look at some pictures to see how I added intricate details.
• If you paint a layer of the puff paint,  place it on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet to dry, and then you can add a second layer for more depth.