Blue Print Rebels: Hacking The Gingerbread Grid

Long before twinkling lights and snowy streets filled our imaginations, families in Germany and Central Europe built small festive worlds right in their homes. These miniature Christmas villages, called putz, began as simple nativity scenes and grew into whole handcrafted towns beneath the Christmas tree — tiny houses, bridges, and shops made to capture the spirit of community.

Around the same time, bakers were creating gingerbread houses, inspired by the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, turning spice and sugar into magical architecture. Together, these traditions combined storytelling, craftsmanship, and imagination — the first “model cities” of the holiday season.

In this workshop, students become holiday city engineers, designing and building a village of laser-cut wooden “gingerbread” structures. By blending history, design, and engineering, they’ll reimagine the festive village for the future — a city built on creativity, community, and wonder.

Together, the class will connect their creations into one shared city—discovering how imagination, design, and teamwork come together to build a joyful community of the future.