buy a kit.
Source(s):
saw a kit at books a million, most major dept stores, maybe Target

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In a pinch, we use graham crackers instead of gingerbread.

We usually do this project with multiple children and my experience is that they like the decorating part of the project instead of construction. We make a house for each child to decorate. Baking and making gingerbread houses for multiple children is time consuming.
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You can make a gingerbread house with graham crackers. Watch the video on the link.
Source(s):
http://zedomax.com/blog/2008/12/04/holiday-diy-how-to-make-a-gingerbread-ho...

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Get the $7 kit at Dollar General.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4K_cGBT0FSA/STrAeesDvRI/AAAAAAAAA0c/hcdiEjvhnCA/s400/gingerbreadkit.jpg

They're quick, easy, and the results are wonderful.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4K_cGBT0FSA/STrANXbehbI/AAAAAAAAA0U/9N9RvQLKa9k/s1600-h/gingerbreadhouse.2008.jpg (<-An obnoxiously cute picture of my daughter that Mahalo's code refuses to display for some reason.)
Source(s):
My wife's blog.
http://frugalveg.blogspot.com/2008/12/gingerbread-house-2008.html

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Royal Icing recipe:
1 pound of confectionery sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 egg whites

If you don't want to bake you can use a kit from any craft store. However, if you're doing this with a child you can simply use graham crackers.

The first thing to do is assemble the walls with the royal icing piped onto the sides. The icing acts as a glue and dries quickly so you're working against the time. After the walls you need to assemble the roof and glue it with the icing to the walls, hold it in place for a couple of minutes. Don't try to do any decorating to the house base until you are sure the icing has dried. This takes several minutes. Piping icing on both the inside and outside of the house at the seams will help it stay secure for the weight of the decorations.
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If you are looking for easy, it's best to buy a gingerbread house kit. That way you don't have to bother with actually making any gingerbread, and you'll know that all the parts fit together. You can buy additional candies to spruce up the house a bit.

http://www.pier1.com/TopMenu/Products/tabid/260/Default.aspx?task=viewproduct&id=2237&urlname=gingerbread-house-kit
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Buying a kit works.

Another way is, just buy gingerbread and frosting that hardens. Then start building without a plan. Go until you have a house that's covered on all four sides. Then decorate with more frosting and edible stuff.

That's definitely the fastest way :)
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Next Thanksgiving, visit the Grove Park Inn in Ashville, NC. They have an annual gingerbread house contest.

http://www.groveparkinn.com/gallery/Gingerbread2008

there's some inspiration
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Buy a pre-baked kit. Open it. Put it together.Walla!
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If you're not planning on eating it after words, the easiest way is with graham crackers...and cardboard. Create a "house' using rigid cardboard, and glue the grahams crackers on (you can use royal icing or actual glue to attach the graham crackers to the cardboard. on...then decorate with frosting, royal icing and candies as you would any other gingerbread house. You can use frosting and royal icing to hide any defects.
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