Gingerbread houses are always fun to decorate, but it can be hard to figure out where to begin with the decorating process. You can make your house your own with any candy, frosting, or architecture you choose. Check out these different themes for some ideas for your uniquely designed, miniature candy home.

A Christmas in paradise

If you're as tired of this freezing Tennessee weather as I am, try creating a beach paradise to take your mind off of the snow. In order to create the beach house of your dreams, you'll need Wheat Thins, Goldfish, pretzel sticks, Swedish Fish, green gummies, light brown sugar, gum balls, cocoa puffs, mini umbrellas, and chocolate rocks. Follow the instructions as listed for a gingerbread house but make a smaller version for a beach vibe. Create some chairs on the front lawn with pretzel sticks as legs and the back and seat as Wheat Thins. Place the baby umbrellas by the chairs for some shade. Make the sand with brown sugar and use frosting for it to stick. Place the Goldfish and Swedish Fish in the blue frosting ocean near the sand floor. Now, use the gum balls for the lining of the roof for some color. Throw some chocolate rocks around the ground, too. Consider making some palm tree shapes with the green gummies as the leaves, and cocoa puffs as the center "coconuts." Also, shape some surfboards out of fondant so your gingerbread men can surf. This house will be one for the books, and make you wish it was Summer again!

A palace for a princess and her prince

Treat yourself to a palace this Christmas (no pun intended)! Construct your castle walls and towers from a gingerbread instruction kit, then use some candy canes for some decor on the walls. Make 3-D Christmas trees out of gingerbread, and use some Peeps for snowmen to guard your palace. Your options are endless for the candy you can use to outline your roof, but for sure dust it off with powdered sugar as snow.

A log house Lincoln would call home

For this mountain excursion home, you will need some coconut to make a thick layer of snow on the ground. Make a classic style home and put globs of icing on the roof, also for the element of excess snow. Next, create a pathway to your humble abode, leading to a red door that welcomes your guest, and represents the red of Christmas. Get thick rod pretzels for the rod, and buy a candied, edible wreath to top it off.

You can't go wrong with a classic gingerbread house either, grab some royal icing, gum drops, licorice, peppermints, Nilla Wafers, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and anything else you can think of to decorate your roof and yard. Everyone will be grabbing the candy right off of your house, and loving the creativity you put into it. Be sure to enjoy your decorating, and have a blessed holiday season, and wonderful new year!