How to Preserve a Gingerbread House

If you want to keep a beautiful gingerbread house for even longer — for example, if you plan to store it and bring it out for the holidays next year — then consider preserving it with clear lacquer or varnish. This extends the life of a gingerbread house indefinitely, although some deterioration is still possible.

Before you start baking gingerbread cookies, arranging gumdrops or putting together a gingerbread house kit, consider the surface on which you will build your cookie construction.

If you intend to preserve a gingerbread house to last for more than one holiday season, it needs to be securely attached to a surface that you can move safely into and out of storage. Moving a gingerbread house by itself is likely to cause breakage. Some options include platters and cutting boards, which you could wrap in a layer of aluminum foil.

Attach the gingerbread house pieces to the surface with royal icing and add more candy or plastic decorations directly to the board to resemble a festive garden.

Before taking the additional step of preserving your own gingerbread house with varnish or clear lacquer, let it dry out at room temperature or in a cool, dry place for at least a week or two.

The goal is to let as much moisture as possible evaporate from the gingerbread dough, royal icing and candy decorations.

Preserving the gingerbread house before it's dry will seal in moisture and possibly lead to mold. Wait until a few days before you're ready to store the gingerbread house for next year before applying varnish.

Seal the surfaces of your gingerbread house with a clear craft varnish (either acrylic or polyurethane) or a clear lacquer. These products will give the house a water-repellent coating and help preserve it indefinitely. They are available in matte, glossy or satin finishes, so choose one that offers the look you prefer for your gingerbread house.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions, which will generally tell you to shake the can and spray in fine, even swipes over the surfaces from about 6 inches away. Try to be as thorough as possible in coating the gingerbread house and, ideally, spray inside the house as well, if that's possible.

Apply multiple coats of clear varnish to the gingerbread house for longer-lasting preservation. Let the previous coat thoroughly dry before spraying the next, and apply at least four to five coats of varnish in total.

When the final coat of varnish is thoroughly dry, you can store the gingerbread house until the next holiday season. Lift the whole arrangement by the base and try not to touch the gingerbread house or decorations to avoid damage, as it can still be delicate after varnishing.

Place the house inside a plastic bag or sturdy container with a lid. Store it on a shelf where it won't be touched or disturbed. It does not need to be an airtight container.

It's best to keep the gingerbread house in storage inside the home, rather than a garage or other storage space, so it's less likely to be exposed to extreme temperatures or vermin.