Paper Plate Gingerbread House Craft (with moving gingerbread man!)

A gingerbread house craft is the perfect activity for the Christmas season! Preschoolers, toddlers, kindergarteners, and older kids will all love this fun gingerbread man craft. We've included a free template to help with the process. Kids will love cutting, painting, and gluing it all together with you. Follow the step-by-step directions below to get started on your own gingerbread house craft made from paper plates!

Gingerbread house craft

Looking for more gingerbread house crafts? Check out this easy gingerbread house from cardboard or this 3D cardboard gingerbread house, this paper bag gingerbread house or this paper gingerbread house.

Be sure to check out some fun gingerbread man crafts too! Try this cardboard gingerbread man and this salt dough gingerbread man.

For fun gingerbread man activities, check out this gingerbread playdough and this gingerbread cloud dough.

paper plate gingerbread house craft

Christmas crafts are such fun for kids at this time of year. Gingerbread man craft ideas are definitely one of my favourites, right next to gingerbread house ideas, of course. This activity includes both a gingerbread man and a gingerbread house so it is definitely a winner! 

This paper plate craft is great for practicing fine motor skills and cutting with scissors as well as being fun. Kids will have so much fun making the gingerbread man craft move too!

You can also pair this gingerbread house craft with your favorite story of the gingerbread man. Crafts and books paired together are great for young children. 


Scroll down to get started on your very own paper plate gingerbread man in a gingerbread house craft!

gingerbread house for kids

Moving gingerbread man in a gingerbread house craft


Gingerbread house craft supplies


  • 2 paper plates
  • popsicle stick
  • cardboard
  • bond paper 
  • pompoms
  • construction paper - light green, dark green, blue, red, and blue
  • black marker
  • white pen
  • scissors
  • glue
  • acrylic paint - brown and white


How to make a paper plate gingerbread house craft


STEP ONE: Gather your supplies


Before you get started with your gingerbread man house craft, make sure you have all your supplies. If you haven't already, scroll down and grab the free gingerbread house template to make your craft easy to complete. The template for the gingerbread house includes the icing trim for the house and the shape for the gingerbread man. 

gingerbread house supplies

STEP TWO: Prepare paper plates


The first step in getting started is to paint one of your paper plates with brown paint and let it dry.

While you're waiting for it to dry, cut the other paper plate in half. Then, trim the bottom in an arc shape. Paint it white and let it dry. If you're using a white paper plate, you can skip this portion of this step.

paint paper plates for gingerbread house craft

STEP THREE: Prepare the gingerbread man and gingerbread house template


Time to prepare your template pieces! Trace and cut out each piece. Use cardboard for the gingerbread man and white paper for the gingerbread house roof shape.

Then fold green paper in half and cut out half a tree shape for the trees, open them to create symmetrical trees. Cut a window shape from your blue paper. 

make trees for gingerbread house craft

STEP FOUR: Decorate the gingerbread man


Now to decorate your gingerbread man! Use black and white markers to draw on small details as shown below.

Gingerbread man craft

Next, draw some small circles and cut them out from construction paper in your desired colours. Glue them on to resemble buttons.

craft gingerbread man

Glue your gingerbread man to a popsicle stick as shown.

gingerbread man for gingerbread house craft


STEP FIVE: Assemble the gingerbread house craft


Now it's time to assemble your gingerbread house craft! Glue the roof shape to the top of the brown paper plate and then glue a pompom to the point at the top.

Next, glue the window shape to the middle of the paper plate. Then, use a black marker to draw a cross shape to resemble the details of the window.

Glue one of the trees to the left side and glue on pompoms down the centre to resemble Christmas tree ornaments.

gingerbread house craft from paper plates


Turn the arch shaped paper plate from earlier so that the rounded side is at the bottom. This will resemble the snow on the ground. Glue the remaining tree to the right side and then glue to the brown paper plate along the edges. Make sure to leave a space at the bottom for the gingerbread man to fit through.

Gingerbread man craft - gingerbread house craft

The last step is inserting the popsicle stick gingerbread man through the hole from the top to make him move around! 

You're all done with your gingerbread man in a gingerbread house craft.

Moving gingerbread man in gingerbread house craft


GET YOUR GINGERBREAD HOUSE CRAFT TEMPLATE BELOW


To grab this gingerbread house template for free click on the link below and use the discount code: gingerbread. For personal or classroom use only. Not for redistribution. All images are copyrighted. Thank you.

gingerbread house template


We hope you have lots of fun making this paper plate gingerbread house craft! Toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and older kids will all love this moving gingerbread man craft for Christmas. It's such a fun activity to get ready for the holiday season.

Gingerbread house craft with moving gingerbread man craft.


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