Copy the elaborate designs that create a unique holiday gingerbread centerpiece, using simple craft supplies instead of edible treats. A variety of creative items can decorate a pseudo-gingerbread house with candy sweetness and sugary sparkle without ever opening a bag of goodies.
With cardboard walls instead of gingerbread and an icing made from glue and glitter, the finished product can be displayed for many Christmas celebrations to come. More experience crafters may prefer to substitute salt cinnamon cookie dough to create hard, inedible walls that will last for several seasons; the material is easy to stain and shellac to resemble gingerbread.
Materials Needed:
- one large sheet of cardboard OR
- six separate sheets, small
- one ruler
- one exacto knife
- one pair of scissors
- one bottle white craft glue
- one bottle clear glitter
- one plastic storage bag (optional)
- one small wooden dowel (cut into thin circles)
- red and green craft paint
- paintbrush
- four short dowels, cut to equal lengths
Making the Gingerbread House
Directions:
- Use a traditional gingerbread template or the one included to cut four walls from cardboard, two with peaked roof lines.
- Cut two sheets for the root, equal in size, slightly larger than the walls to create an overlap. Measure each piece twice before cutting them out; the size of the walls cut varies, according to each crafter's desired house size.
- Use an exacto knife to cut small window panes for the windows, if desired.
- Assemble the house using a line of strong craft glue to secure the walls at the corners. Use a line of glue along the wall edges to add the two roof panels, then let the house dry before decorating.
Using the Icing
To make the "icing", mix together white craft glue and clear glitter to form a chunky, frosting-style mixture. Cut a small corner from a plastic storage bag to make an icing bag for "piping" the frosting along the perimeter of the walls; or use a skewer or paintbrush to decorate them.
Follow the wall and roof seams and base, outlining window panes and other details. Use swirling lines or traditional rounded icing "shingles" to decorate the surface of the roof. Smooth the "frosting" lumps using the handle of a paintbrush or skewer to create an even frosting line. Sprinkle with an extra coat of clear glitter while the glue is still wet, then let the house dry.
Decorating the House
Directions:
- Use craft paint and glitter to color rounded pieces of dowel cut from a longer piece (width varies, just like candy sizes).
- Paint shorter pieces with red and white stripes to create peppermint sticks, one for each corner of the house. Sprinkle generously with glitter while the candy pieces are wet to "sugar coat" each one.
- Glue them to the house using glitter icing to secure them in place. Do one side at a time, so the house can lay on the opposite side and prevent the fake candies from sliding off. Be creative with decorating styles while embellishing the house.
Once the house is finished, display with fake snow, trees, and other classic choices for a centerpiece decoration. Use quilt batting and glitter to create a bed of snow, or plug in a small night light or Christmas bulb inside the house to add a friendly glow to the windows.
Sarah Briggs - For the last two years, I have designed primitive dolls and folk art sculptures (such as Edwin Drood and the Ghost of Marley) for Cordwood ...
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