The Pros and Cons of a Gingerbread House Kit vs. a Gingerbread House from Scratch?

There is something magical about constructing and decorating a gingerbread house. My husband and I spent hours our first Christmas building our cookie home for an extended family gingerbread competition. It was a Christmas to remember. Somehow we didn't win even with our two-car garage ( I am not in the least bit bitter)!

Pros of a Gingerbread House Kit: Why buy a gingerbread kit, instead of making your house from scratch?

1. The odds of it standing are greater. I remember watching in dismay as my childhood gingerbread house turned into a pile of rubble. Does this sound familiar to you? This scenario is easily preventable with a gingerbread house kit. The kit contains perfectly cut gingerbread, easy-to-use icing, and a layout for a perfect cookie house. 
2. You only purchase one thing. We all know how crazy the Christmas season is. It is nice to compact a shopping list. Creating the gingerbread house from scratch requires buying confection sugar, molasses, candy canes, gumdrops, and more. Purchasing a kit is a way to make your holiday season a bit less stressful. Who doesn't like a neatly packaged and ready for use kit? 
3. It is less of a mess. There was no room left in our kitchen as we constructed our gingerbread home. Gingerbread covered the countertop, dishes flooded the sink, frosting splattered the table, and flour speckled my clothing. It was as if a blizzard had passed through our kitchen. I was stressed; the Christmas spirit was fading. With a kit, the mess is minimal: no dirty pans, no floury mess, no plastered cookie cutters, and a more peaceful atmosphere.
4. A gingerbread house kit will take less time. It is hard work making a gingerbread house from start to finish. I usually take a few days to complete it. A gingerbread house kit can easily be done in one setting. 

Cons of a Gingerbread House Kit:

1. It is more expensive for what you get. You may end up spending less, but you get way less for what you spent.  
2. You don't get to choose the design. A kit is structured from start to finish. It limits you to what candy you use, the shape of the house, and how imaginative you can be. Part of the fun of building a gingerbread house from scratch is the creative aspect. I love designing, constructing, and choosing how to decorate my masterpiece. 
3. It doesn't taste as good. I love candy, and building gingerbread houses gives me an excuse to buy the candy I want. A kit limits me to which sweets and how many sweets. Sadly it doesn't stop at the sweets. The fact is that the taste of homemade gingerbread easily outranks the cookies in the kits.
4. You miss out on the smells. Have you ever smelt freshly baked, gingerbread? If not, you have no idea what you are missing out!!! 

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." - Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Kristen