For the third year in a row… welcome to our contest featuring Globally inspired Gingerbread houses as a way to celebrate other cultures and to promote world peace. Too often we become bogged down in our own little world – forgetting about the rich tapestry of culture beyond our own borders. This contest serves as fun way to connect across continents.

Inspiration can come from anywhere in the world… perhaps you’d like to make a house with grass on the roof, an ice castle, mud and straw hut, a log cabin, or skyscraper … or maybe a combination of structures from around the world. The choice is yours.

For inspiration, please see this gallery of houses around the world and the world’s strangest houses.

Be sure to connect your creation to the greater vision of world peace in the short essay.

After you read the rules, you are ready to enter the contest. Fun!

Prize Packages:

These prize packages are still being developed and are subject to change.

GRAND PRIZE:

• $150 Shopping Spree to Whole Foods… or anywhere Saffron Road is sold (sponsored by our friends at Saffron Road)

• $150 Gift Card to World Market  … oh the goodies you’ll find. Want pottery? Gorgeous hand painted dishes? What about a new couch? There’s everything from decorating to entertaining and from international foods, to seasonal decor. All with that global flair we love so much.

2nd PRIZE:

• Hand painted Tunisian Tagine from Williams Sonoma. All the better to make glorious North African food, like our Moroccan Lamb Tagine with sweet honeyed figs. Yummers.

Best in Tulsa:

Tulsa area residents may also enter to win this prize package, sponsored by Philbrook Museum including:

• The gingerbread house to be in a featured display at Philbrook Museum
• One (1) year Family membership to Philbrook (value $65)

Enter Now…or check out the competition:

Important Dates & Deadlines:

August 1, 2012 – December 16, 2012: Contest is open for submissions.

November 12, 2012: All “Best in Tulsa” entries must be uploaded by this date in order to be eligible for display at the Philbrook Museum and for the “Best in Tulsa” prize package.

December 16, 2012: Deadline for all other entries.

December 17, 2012-December 21, 2012: Finalists will be announced.

December 25, 2012: Winners announced. (UPDATE: Winners will be announced the 26th)

Tulsa Residents:  The best entry from the Tulsa area will be featured at the Philbrook Museum’s 27th Annual Festival of Trees at a special display. The winner will also be awarded a family membership to Philbrook (value $65). The gingerbread house will be auctioned off to raise money for Philbrook.

To be eligible, please select Tulsa on the entry form and note early deadline: November 12, 2012 Please also note that the house must adhere to the Philbrook’s guidelines on dimensions etc. [Guidelines]

Judging:

Houses will be voted on by a panel of judges. They will be scored on the following criteria (on a scale of 1-5):

– Overall design
– Creativity
– Difficulty & Technique
– Neatness  & Precision
– Adherence to theme of Gingerbread for Peace and Globally inspired structure
– How much does the essay relate to the theme.

Judges: 

Jenny Buccos from Project Explorer.org

Karen Coates from Rambling Spoon

Dan Noll & Audrey Scott from Uncornered Market

Complete Rules: Please read our complete rules before entering.