A few years back I had this great idea to buy a gingerbread house mold to make it 'easier' to make gingerbread houses with the kids each year. It was after the holiday and the
Wilton Gingerbread Mold Pan![](http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=nemasco-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003CN5SRW)
was on super clearance at the craft store. I should have known there was a reason it was still available. There's no way any person in their right mind - who wants to
stay in their right mind - would attempt to make a gingerbread house from scratch alongside a toddler and a five year old.
My husband looked at me like I was crazy when I brought the kit home. Not that that's too out of the ordinary, but this time I did think he had a point. I promptly returned it - but with the mindset that my kids would
not go through their childhood deprived of making Christmas-time gingerbread houses.
Then last year my aunt told me her little secret - use milk cartons (and Halloween candy) to make easy, kid-friendly, and inexpensive gingerbread houses. How freaking genius is that?
My 2 year old and I set out to get all our supplies: 2 pint-size milk cartons, some kid-friendly candy (none of those tiny rock hard bead-like candies that come with the gingerbread kits), what remained of our Halloween candy stash, a container of pre-made icing, and a box of graham crackers.