Oh, where to begin?! You’ve decided to take the leap and make a gingerbread project, but what do you make? If you are entering a gingerbread contest, you need to review your contest’s rules. Some contests have a theme your project must adhere to (or lose points).
Contests with a theme
When the contest has a theme, it narrows down your options considerably, which may help a bit. If the theme is something like holiday movies or holiday songs, I would play every holiday song or watch every movie until something stuck with me. Bounce ideas off family members and friends; ask for their ideas. Try to think outside the box a little bit. The judges need to know instantly what it is, but you don’t want something that everyone else is doing either. Most importantly, you need to stay within the scope of your abilities and your project can’t be so involved that you won’t be able to get it completed on time.
Contests without a theme
When the gingerbread contest does not have a theme, look for a project ideas that tell a story. It doesn’t have to have a holiday theme. Look at pictures from past contests. This will give you an idea of what has already been done before, what the judges are looking for and who your competitors may be.
Here are some places where you can find some inspiration for your gingerbread masterpiece:
- Department 56 Villages
- David Winter Cottages
- Lilliput Lane Cottages
- Lemax Village Collection
- Thomas Kinkade Paintings / Villages
- Wargame buildings/characters
- Train model buildings/accessories
- Children’s Books
- Video games
- Candy Crush
- Gardenscapes
- Lily’s Garden
- Movies/Cartoons
- Real Life (actual buildings)
- Dollhouses
- Instagram (Architecture)
- Board games
- Paintings / Illustrations
Whatever your idea may be, make sure that it 1) is within the scope of your abilities, 2) tells a story, 3) adheres to the contest theme (if any), 4) adheres to the contest rules, and most importantly, 5) can be completed by the contest deadline.