The whimsical sight of holiday cheer, bright twinkling lights on a tall Christmas tree, and an adjacent dog statue sporting a bright red Christmas hat greet students as they walked into the library on Friday, Dec. 5, to turn in their submissions for the month-long cardboard gingerbread house held by the library

The competition, where students were given the opportunity to create a cardboard gingerbread house limited to 24 inches tall, was introduced in early November, giving students almost a month to work on their projects. Submissions began to roll in during the week of Monday, Dec. 1, to Friday, Dec. 5, transforming the fiction section of the library into a miniature village of colorful holiday homes. 

“We’ve gotten about seven submissions so far,” Co-Librarian Lauren Kluck said. “This is our first year doing something like this, so we didn’t know what to expect from the contest, but the turnout was incredible.”

Spread across the library bookshelves, the entries showcased students’ creativity: cozy cardboard homes with hand-painted icing trim sat beside intricate, multi-level structures complete with faux snow, candy canes, and glowing lights. The librarians set up a sign pointing to a display of glittering cardboard gingerbread houses

“I think it was a really good opportunity for students to showcase their creativity,” Ms. Kluck said. “All of the entries are very inventive, and the students truly put a lot of work into their designs for the houses.”

Students were given the opportunity to work in groups, and many spent their week-long Thanksgiving break designing, decorating and finalizing the decorations on their houses. 

“I asked my friends if they wanted to do something fun since I saw the email that the librarians had sent,” Catherine Matzdorf ‘29 said. “They said yes, and so we started buying lots of stuff to make it [and] took cardboard from our attics that our parents had [to start] constructing it.”

Students utilized creative methods to make intricate details, including using candy canes, oreos, and M&M’s for house decor, cotton balls and fluff to mimic snow, and twinkling fairy lights to represent the lights in a house. 

“[My group] each drew a gingerbread house that we would like to make, and we just put all of our ideas together and started making it,” Matzdorf said. “I really enjoyed spending time with my friends and making all these cool things out of clay and cardboard [and] using piping bags to make the frosting.”

The competition acted as a way for students to have fun before the upcoming finals week, giving them a break from the endless cycle of learning, studying and test-taking. 

“It took about five days over Thanksgiving break [to make],” Samantha Lemus ‘29 said. “[I liked] the fun I had with my friends and my sister since we just had a lot of bonding time together that we haven’t done in years.”

Participants are waiting in anticipation for the contest results to come out on Friday, Dec. 12. Showcased for all to see, the completed gingerbread houses add a burst of festive spirit to the library, inviting students to pause, smile and enjoy a bit of holiday magic between classes.

“I like how it gives students a break from their grades while also providing cheer for the holiday season,” Ms. Kluck said. “That’s really important, especially during this time of the season, and the participation is very well appreciated.”