These gingerbread house ornaments are a fun DIY project for kids and grown-ups alike

Gingerbread houses are made of sweet things and are totally adorable, but they’re temporary. Whether the family eats them up or they just sit and get stale, they ultimately wind up gone within a few days or weeks.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a gingerbread house the family can hang on the tree year after year? This cute gingerbread house ornament crafting project is something that even younger children can make and is fun for the whole family. Plus, there’s no sugar rush from making these little gingerbread houses!

Projects with Kids, which specializes in DIY crafts, has the instructions for these painted gingerbread house ornaments, and they’re perfect for the holiday season. Only a few supplies are needed to make the ornaments, which are made by painting mini terra-cotta pots.

And the best part of this gingerbread house project? There is no frustrating house construction required! The pot acts as the structure, and the kids just paint on the candy decorations — no messy icing-as-glue, no crumbling cookies, no tears.

Projects with Kids has the step-by-step directions to create the mini gingerbread house ornaments. Just follow along and you’ll have an entire little gingerbread village in no time.

You can hang these mini gingerbread houses on the tree or let the kids set up their own little town under the tree or maybe on the hearth of your fireplace.

If you just can’t get enough of gingerbread creations, here’s another idea for the whole family, and it’s another holiday construction project that could turn permanent. This 1,477-piece Lego gingerbread house kit has everything from a glowing fireplace to the faux royal icing snow-covered roof peaks.

The figurines are, of course, gingerbread people, and the furniture is designed to look like your favorite Christmas candy. It even has a glowing fireplace. The whole scene is just adorable.

Enjoy the holiday season, whatever you make or build!