In this post, you’ll learn how to create your own DIY gingerbread village houses that are inspired by the high-end Pottery Barn houses but at a fraction of the cost.
Gingerbread village houses have become a huge trend in recent years, and I can see why! I love the simplicity and the nostalgic, vintage feel they bring to my home during the holidays.
There’s something so cozy about decorating with these little houses, especially when you can make your own version for less. This DIY is not only easy, but it also gives you that high-end Pottery Barn look without the hefty price tag.
Plus, you can get creative with how you style and display them!
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Supplies List For DIY Gingerbread Village Houses
- Little Ceramic Houses (See down below for other options)
- Permanent White Paint Pens
- Brown Spray Paint (This is the exact color I got)
- Rust-Oleum Matte Clear Spray Paint
- Tea lights (optional if your houses didn’t come with lights)
- Sandblock
- Rag & Cleaner
Alternative Ceramic Christmas Houses
For this DIY, I used the 2024 ceramic light-up houses from Target’s Dollar Spot, which come in 4-5 different styles. However, since they tend to sell out quickly, I’ve rounded up other affordable ceramic house options below that you can use to create your own DIY gingerbread village houses!
Keep in mind a lot of these have different sizes and styles that go together as a village!
- 3pc Lit Ceramic Buildings Decorative Christmas Figurine Set – Wondershop
- My Texas House White Ceramic House
- Metal House Christmas Village Building
- White Ceramic House from Michaels
How To Make DIY Gingerbread Village Houses
1. Prepping The Ceramic Houses For Paint
The first step is to prep your ceramic houses for painting. While this step is optional, I recommend taking a few minutes to do it if you want your houses to last and stay in great condition over time.
Using a sanding block or sandpaper, lightly sand the surface of each house. You don’t need to be too precise—just a quick sanding will help the paint adhere better.
Once you’ve finished sanding, wipe the houses down with a rag and some cleaner to remove any dust and debris.
2. Paint The Houses Brown
There are two simple ways to paint your DIY gingerbread village houses brown. I opted for the quick and easy method by using a can of brown spray paint. I chose Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2x Satin in the shade Warm Caramel. This option is great because it’s a paint and primer in one, giving you smooth coverage with minimal effort!
Other option would be to get some acrylic paint in the shade of brown that you prefer and paint them by hand. Either way will do.
Paint your first coat on and give it some time to dry then apply a second coat. Once, that is dry you can move onto the next step.
If your going to be using spray paint, watch out for drips! To avoid them do light coats rather than one heavy coat!
3. Add Details And Designs To Each Gingerbread House
It’s time to add those charming details that will give your houses their gingerbread look.
Using a permanent white paint pen, carefully draw on the designs—think icing-like outlines around the windows, doors, and rooftops, or even little swirls and dots to mimic candy decorations.
This is where you can really get creative and add your personal touch. Don’t worry about making the lines perfect—part of the charm of gingerbread houses is their hand-drawn, whimsical feel!
Take your time, throw on a Christmas movie and have fun bringing your village to life with these details.
4. Add A Top Coat To The DIY Gingerbread Houses
Once again, this step is optional but I would proceed with caution! Originally to make sure my gingerbread village was going to withstand kids and storage on the off season I wanted to add a coat of Rust-Oleum Matte Clear Spray Paint.
I like the matte clear finish because, it keeps the houses looking like gingerbread houses but protects them from getting scratched up.
BUT, I had a mishap with this step! I went to spray on the Clear topcoat and for some reason it started to bubble up my paint in some areas. I have no clue what happened. It wasn’t cold out, and I had throughly cleaned the houses before hand.
I ended up sanding and reapplying the brown spray paint and this time it did it with the brown paint! So I ended up removing the paint all together in those areas and it seemed to fix the problem. Thankfully I had only applied the topcoat to one of the houses at the time.
In the end I just skipping this step altogether and said it is what it is!
Now, you have your very own Pottery Barn Dupe DIY gingerbread village houses! If you did this Christmas DIY please send me pictures over on Instagram or send them to me in an email! I can’t wait to see what you have created.
[Safety is of great importance when working on DIY projects. Always follow proper safety guidelines, wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and adhere to local building codes and regulations. READ MY FULL DISCLAIMER HERE.]
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