I’m about to tell you something you might find shocking: I’ve never made a gingerbread house—not even one from a kit! The realization was so startling I actually went online to see about ordering one, but I looked at the images and thought, “I don’t have time for that!” Also, I have four cats and all four wouldn’t think twice about licking the frosting from a gingerbread house. 
This gingerbread house pattern is an easier option! For young students, put copies of the color pattern in your loose parts center and encourage little ones to decorate the house with a variety of manipulatives. For older grades, direct students to decorate a black and white copy and then have them write a story about the house’s occupant.