2018-11-15T14:28:00Z 
Gingerbread houses, those sticky, intricate confections, have become a DIY Christmas favorite over the years. Originating in Germany around the 16th century, these "sweet" houses were first decorated with tin foil and gold leaf. They experienced a rise in popularity thanks to the Brothers Grimm's "Hansel and Gretel" fairytale.
That tale is, as we all know, grim — but there's nothing quite as grim as a gingerbread house gone awry.
In an ideal world, gingerbread would be as hard as bricks and icing would be made of super glue, the combined powers of which would yield a standing, four-walled structure. But as these 20 Instagram photos will show you, that couldn't be further from the case.
From melted icing to cracked gingerbread walls, we rounded up some of the most wince-inducing gingerbread house fails shared on social media over the past few years.
Keep scrolling to feel better about your own construction skills this holiday season.
See also: This has to be the most extravagant gingerbread house of all time.
This one is so abysmal it's "For Sale."
Pre- Xmas festivities with friends. Gingerbread house decorating. #gingerbreadhousefail #fun 😜#realestate #lol
A post shared by Zabrina (@edsel__vox) on Jan 6, 2018 at 10:25am PSTJan 6, 2018 at 10:25am PST
Honoring the treat's German roots, this "house" blames its wreckage on a Krampus invasion.
When your gingerbread house goes wrong you have to think outside the box .. #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbreadhousebuilding #gingerbreadhousefail #krampus #krampuswashere #krampusbell #bell #krampus
A post shared by Siân Walsh (@walshsian) on Dec 26, 2017 at 10:54am PSTDec 26, 2017 at 10:54am PST
And there seems to be a theme when it comes to "walls" not staying together: people turn them into giant cookies instead. A 2D treat is easier than a 3D house.
When the Gingerbread house won't stay together, you say screw it and make giant cookies out of the pieces #epicfail #gingerbread #gingerbreadhousefail #giantcookies
A post shared by Amanda Keating (@misskeating91) on Dec 26, 2017 at 11:25pm PSTDec 26, 2017 at 11:25pm PST
Hey, as long as it tastes good, right?
Ginger bread house fail. To over cooking Christmas day to finish it, looked forward to completing it all week and fail!!! Still tastes amazing 😊 first attempt, I'll still to cookies next year #gingerbreadhousefail #christmas2017
A post shared by Josie Dewaal (@josie.dewaal) on Dec 28, 2017 at 11:37pm PSTDec 28, 2017 at 11:37pm PST
Well, maybe not.
Operation Gingerbread House 2017 didn't quite go as planned this year. 😝 #christmas2017 #gingerbreadhousefail
A post shared by Sabrina Jackson (@sabrinajjackson) on Dec 24, 2017 at 2:54pm PSTDec 24, 2017 at 2:54pm PST
But sometimes, those gingerbread walls crack — too fragile for the harshness of human touch.
Epic gingerbread fail. #gingerbreadhousefail
A post shared by @ kel1214 on Dec 23, 2017 at 10:49am PSTDec 23, 2017 at 10:49am PST
If you're making your gingerbread at home, it's important to let it cool after cooking. The longer it cools, the harder it gets, the less likely your walls will shatter...
Gingerbread house wouldn't stick together so I had to go another route. Thanks to @lootcrate I had a hulk sitting around! #gingerbread #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbreadhousefail #actuallyawin #hulk #theincrediblehulk #lootcrate
A post shared by Kelly (@zapatakelly24) on Dec 25, 2017 at 5:40pm PSTDec 25, 2017 at 5:40pm PST
...like this.
The genuine effort of 3 adults. #gingerbreadhouse #crackhouse #bigwgingerbreadhouse #Christmas #4thgingerbreadhouse #constructionisntourthing #2017 #gingerbreadhousefail #wetiredtooredeemourselfs #fail
A post shared by Nana (@anna92nana) on Dec 30, 2017 at 4:37am PSTDec 30, 2017 at 4:37am PST
But no matter what you do, the houses never come out looking like the picture on the box.
#fail #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbreadhousefail #christmas Well that didn’t go as planned 🤷♀️
A post shared by Dani (@dparrell) on Dec 24, 2017 at 3:43pm PSTDec 24, 2017 at 3:43pm PST
This one gets a gold star for effort.
Not even close... #gingerbread #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbreadhousefail #failingatchristmas #howcanwebethisbad #christmastraditions #christmas2017 #christmas
A post shared by Bek Walker (@princessbek) on Dec 24, 2017 at 1:14am PSTDec 24, 2017 at 1:14am PST
But we have no idea what happened here.
Pretty much exactly the same as the picture! 😂🤣😂🤣 #gingerbreadhousefail #homemade #tastesprettygood #win #tornado
A post shared by woosiesusie (@woosiesusie) on Dec 17, 2017 at 6:50am PSTDec 17, 2017 at 6:50am PST
It had so much potential 🙈👩🏻🍳 #gingerbreadhousefail #halloweenorchristmas #timetogiveup #itstartedwiththeicing #betterlucknextyear #thingsdontalwaysgotoplan #itdoesnteventastegood
A post shared by Livi Byrne (@livibyrne7) on Dec 22, 2017 at 2:08pm PSTDec 22, 2017 at 2:08pm PST
That being said, people come up with some crazy-inventive ways to remedy their house's shortcomings.
Gingerbread house fail turned win. The icing in the kit sucked so I hot glued this mess. I like the cotton candy snow. It was cherry flavored. Last pic is of my dollar store haul - I got a little excited 😅 - #gingerbread #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbreadhousefail #fail #hotglue #yellowsnow #candy #sweet #keepout #2cold #hotmess #christmascrafts #latenightcrafting
A post shared by Cortnie Laush (@cortniell) on Dec 24, 2017 at 3:43am PSTDec 24, 2017 at 3:43am PST
This one became a gingerbread tent, for instance.
The Gingerbread Tent. Because the house kit was waaay too complicated. #gingerbreadhousefail #gingerbreadhouse #tent #glamping #candy #michaelscraftstore #theartlair #elf #elfinthetent #chrismyass
A post shared by L.A. Langford (@the_art_tart) on Dec 23, 2017 at 2:47pm PSTDec 23, 2017 at 2:47pm PST
And this one turned into a robot's new lair.
Epic fail but epically fun!!! #gingerbreadhousefun #gingerbreadhousefail #christmas2017 #robotforthewin #easymyarse
A post shared by Charlotte G. (@ivorycatyogi) on Dec 22, 2017 at 4:18pm PSTDec 22, 2017 at 4:18pm PST
Other times, though, they're beyond repair.
Welp, it would appear that there were some complications with the construction of my new house #MerryChristmas #GingerbreadHouseFail #ItIsCalledAbstractArtYouUnculturedJerks
A post shared by Veronica (@theamazingvero) on Dec 24, 2017 at 9:14pm PSTDec 24, 2017 at 9:14pm PST
There's no amount of super glue that could fix this poor guy...
We just aren’t talented enough to create a village....#gingerbreadhousefail
A post shared by Kristie Robinson Moon (@kdrmoon) on Dec 24, 2017 at 9:31pm PSTDec 24, 2017 at 9:31pm PST
...and this house was so close to being solid, we could almost taste success. But, alas.
My gingerbread house tenants were running a meth lab... #gingerbreadhousefail #gingerbreadhouse
A post shared by CT (@txirishaggie) on Dec 24, 2017 at 11:18am PSTDec 24, 2017 at 11:18am PST
Be safe out there, gingerbread artisans. There could be a "snownado" coming this Christmas.
This is what happens when you trust a clutz to build a gingerbread house. They couldn’t handle the snownado. #gingerhappens #gingerbreadhousefail #gingerggedon #snownado
A post shared by Allison (@allilynn617) on Dec 22, 2017 at 5:14pm PSTDec 22, 2017 at 5:14pm PST
Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyotc2gnKuaopqupXnHqKysnV2brqq4jGtnanBdZn4%3D