Paper Bag Gingerbread House Craft

It's safe to say this adorable paper bag gingerbread house craft will meet all your festive fun needs! With just some paper, markers, and our free template, it's easier than you would think to turn a paper bag into an adorable gingerbread house.

 

This gingerbread house can be made completely from scratch by making the paper bag out of a piece of paper (perfect for teaching little ones about recycling) or, if you're short on time, you can skip that part and use a pre-made brown paper bag making this gingerbread house craft simple and quick! 

For both options, you will need our gingerbread house printable which you can grab at the end of the instructions. (Don't worry, it's completely free!)

This paper bag gingerbread house is sure to become an instant hit and it is easy to make using our template and simple directions. 

Embrace those crafty magical vibes this Christmas, and have a look at some of our favorite gingerbread crafts and activities!

• Cardboard Gingerbread House Ornaments
• Cardboard Gingerbread Man Craft
• Salt Dough Gingerbread Man
• Gingerbread Playdough
• Gingerbread Cloud Dough Recipe
• Cardboard Gingerbread House

Paper Bag Gingerbread House Craft

Gingerbread house paper bag craft - supplies:

• Paper bag gingerbread house printable
• Brown paper bag or brown paper
• Colored craft papers
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Craft glue

How to make a paper bag gingerbread house

STEP 1 - Fold paper bag into gingerbread house shape

Let's build this little gingerbread house! If you would like to make your own paper bag scroll down to find out how, otherwise prepare your brown paper bag by folding the corners of the open end of your paper bag toward the center, creating a triangle shape.

This creates the gingerbread house shape.

STEP 2 - Add gingerbread house details

Grab the printable template from the bottom of the page and use it to trace the details for your gingerbread house onto colored craft paper as shown below.  

Alternatively, you may like to draw your own shapes. 

Glue each shape of your template onto the paper bag and allow the glue to dry. Afterward, you can leave it as is or add some sparkles and extra decor using glitter, metallic pens, or whatever your heart desires!

How cute do these paper bag gingerbread houses look! have fun experimenting with different colors or designs. Why not make a whole village of gingerbread houses!

How to make a brown paper bag

Making your own paper bag doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, it's quite the opposite if you follow these easy steps!

We decided to make our bag and take advantage of some leftover brown paper from another craft project. And honestly, it was so easy and fun! 

We're also trying to recycle a bit more lately, so this project was perfect for talking with the kids and showing them an easy and fun way to reuse paper.

STEP 1 - Cut a rectangle shape

Start by taking your brown paper and cutting a rectangular shape. We used these measurements for ours: 8.5 inches X 5 inches.

STEP 2 - Start folding

Now, fold 8 inches of your rectangle into half, making sure to leave 0.5 inches free. 

Then, fold the 0.5 inches to the inside and attach it to the other open end of the folded paper.

Fold up the paper 1.5 inches from one of the bottom open ends.

Open up the other side of the folded-up part and flatten the two sides together to form corners, making sure to keep the adjacent side flattened with the rest of the paper.  

STEP 3 - Fold and secure

Fold both open sides of the bottom towards the center, making sure they overlap. Then, secure the overlapped parts with a drop of glue.

Now, take note of the squares at the bottom of each side. 

STEP 4 - Finish up your paper bag

Those squares will help you as a guide to make perfect crease lines. Use the two opposite corners of the squares as a guide by lining them up on both sides of your bag to create perfectly straight crease lines. 

Then, unfold the last folds you just made. 

Make sure the crease line left behind is noticeable and crisp and glue everything in place. 

That's it; your brown paper bag is now ready to be used as a base for this gingerbread house craft. 

GRAB YOUR GINGERBREAD HOUSE TEMPLATE BELOW

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

We hope you and your kids enjoy making these little paper bag gingerbread houses. You can even take this gingerbread house craft a step further and create your own gingerbread village for this Christmas.

Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube or Subscribe for free email updates!