Every November our church craft group makes gingerbread houses for sale at their Holiday Craft Fair. It’s great fun, and you can eat your mistakes! Folks stand in line at the church door before the fair opens so they won’t miss out on the gingerbread houses. Here are some of the houses I’ve made.
Gingerbread houses from 2007. It took me a long time to get into the spirit of decorating houses this year, but on the third work session I got my Gingerbread Mojo back and it started going well.
I like the big cherry candies. Jelly-like things glow with the white icing underneath. The cherries and the checked border are inspired by Mary Englebright illustrations.
A face-off at the skating pond, and it’s not hockey related… do large cats eat small penguins? Will they live to tell the tale? Penguin candies are fun to use with houses, and I wish I could find other animal candies. The small cat cookie cutter is made from a tuna can.
Fruit stripe gum makes a great shingled roof, or shutters, below. Above, the yellow gum works as “lights on” in the house. But, oh, boy how it reeks!
Necco wafers are still my favorite shingles. This house required 3 rolls of chocolate flavor neccos…
The house below is bigger than most that we sell. It was made especially for a raffle in 2004. I put pieces of paper doilies in the windows for lace curtains. Gum drops rolled out thin in granulated sugar and cut into strips make the bows for wreaths and the snowman’s scarf. It’s hat, too, is made from rolled gumdrop. Thinned icing gives the front walk an icy look, and icicles hang from the eaves. Square grid pretzels are good for fences and porch sides. The birdhouse and dog house are made from graham crackers.
Front. with birdhouse, snowman, graham cracker front walk
Back, with graham cracker porch and tootsie roll woodpile
Side, showing dog house and pen, cats under birdhouse
The house below was made for the 2003 Holiday Fair
Here are some other gingerbread houses I’ve made.
The little red hearts for this one were a real find!
The yard of flowers in the “snow” is wishful thinking! I think my friend Barbara made this one, but I don’t remember. We’ve made so many over the years, and shared so many ideas, that it’s hard to keep track when going through old pictures. The other one below I call “Jazzy”
More houses, or details, from 2005
Here is a penguin igloo made for the 2006 UU Holiday Fair. Red licorice and Wilton brand leaf and berry sprinkles accent the gingerbread igloo. The water is made by melting crushed blue hard candy on aluminum foil in the toaster oven.
