Gingerbread House Party Secret

OK, I guess it won't be a secret any more if I'm posting it on my blog for the world to see! LOL *To make a sturdy gingerbread house that will not collapse several times while you are trying to put it together, AND will stay together throughout the holiday season: Hot Glue It Together before decorating. Do this ONLY if you are not actually planning to eat the gingerbread! I do not make my own gingerbread. I buy a gingerbread house kit at a local craft store (using a % off coupon, of course!) If you have ever bought one of these kits, you will know why I don't choose to eat them. Homemade gingerbread is much better tasting. I use a kit during the holidays for convenience and decorative purposes. Any way, getting to the point of this post: I hosted my Third Annual Gingerbread House Party Friday night. I invited my group of friends, "The Flip Flop Girls." Three of the girls opted to make "chocolate" houses instead of gingerbread houses. They melted chocolate, poured it into a mold, and then decorated it. One of the girls (who will remain nameless) opened her box, only to find that her gingerbread house pieces were broken!!! She will have to return it to the store and get a new one. So disappointing! I was the only one to make an actual gingerbread house at the gingerbread house party.
I will say that papercrafting is much easier. You don't have to deal with pieces sliding off your project. I used the royal icing that came with the kit to attach the candy. I guess you could pull the candy off and eat it if you really wanted to, but I wouldn't advise it.