Crafting Cheerful Chимearas with Paper Gingerbread Abodes for Wintertime Decor

Crafting Cheerful Chимearas with Paper Gingerbread Abodes for Wintertime Decor

Going Gaga Over Gingerbread: A Festive Spin on a Timeless Tradition

Forget the monotone, cookie-cutter approach to Christmas crafts! this year, let's jazz things up a bit with some colorful, candy-inspired twists on classic Christmas staples. Here's an unconventional take on building gingerbread houses and wreaths – a sweet, pastel pink wreath adorned with faux peppermints and mini paper gingerbread houses. It's like a dreamy, edible, candyland Christmas eye-candy!

Whimsical Paper Gingerbread Houses

Study Up

Gather these supplies to craft your own gingerbread house haute couture:

• Free printable gingerbread house template (find it online or on your crafting arsenal)
• Brown card stock
• Vintage shades of paper scraps
• Red and white card stock
• White rickrack trim
• Adhesive, a hot glue gun, or a glue stick
• White gel pen or a white chalk pencil (optional)

Masterclass: DIY Gingerbread House

1. Prepare the Blueprint Get started by printing the mini gingerbread house blueprint. Cut out both pieces.

Fun Fact: When printed at 100% scale, the blueprint will generate a house that's about 3 1/2 inches tall and 2 1/4 inches wide. Feel free to scale it down to create smaller houses, depending on your space and preference.

1. Gather the Building Materials Place the blueprint on a sheet of brown card stock. Trace the shape of the house using a white gel pen or light-colored pencil. You can also use a white chalk pencil for a subtle, faded look. Cut out the shape from the card stock.
2. Prepare the Blueprint for Construction Fold the card stock piece down the tabs, pressing them firmly to create sharp creases. Fold the main portion of the house horizontally, overlapping the squares; this will split the house into four segments. Fold up the bottom flap – this will serve as the base of the house. Fold the separate rectangle piece in half to craft the roof.
3. Build Your Masterpiece Begin by connecting the sides – glue the side tab to the opposite end of the house. Make sure you glue the tab on the inside of the house's body. Glue the bottom flap to the four tabs on the base. Finally, glue the roof to the top four tabs. Keep building until you have the desired number of houses.
4. Customize Your House Time to make your mini houses truly fabulous! Get creative using vintage-colored paper scraps, red-and-white "candy cane" card stock to create the front doors, white rickrack trim for frosty accents, and a white gel pen to add finishing touches. Let your imagination run wild with embellishments like stick-on rhinestones, stickers, or felt or foam shapes. If you have a Cricut or another cutting machine, feel free to incorporate it in your project.

Candylicious Pompom Garland

Instructions

• Dress Up Your Red and White Pompoms Cut a long strand of embroidery thread and create a loop at one end, leaving a few inches of extra thread for tying to the wreath form later on. Thread the other end through a sewing needle. Insert the needle through a pompom.
• Garland Assembly Line Slide the pompom down to the knot. Keep adding red and white pompoms, alternating colors. Repeat until the garland reaches the desired length. Tie another knot at the end and leave some extra thread for later.

Pastel Pink Pink-tastic Wreath

You'll Need

• Pastel pink wreath
• Paper gingerbread houses
• Red and white pompom garland
• Faux candy canes and peppermints
• Scrap plastic or plastic wrap
• Clear tape
• Hot glue gun
• Wreath hanger

Wreath Tips

• Faux candy canes and peppermints are available on Amazon or local craft stores.

Let's Hoof It, Wreath!

1. Wrap the Candy Wrap a few round peppermint candies using plastic, ensuring to twist the ends. Secure the plastic seam at the backside of the candy with a strip of clear tape. Wrap the twisted ends with more thin pieces of clear tape for a professional finish. Repeat the process with a few more peppermint candies.
2. Garland Tie-In Tie the pompom garland to the back of the wreath. Trim away any extra thread if necessary.
3. Add Your Candy Buy-Ins Hot glue the candies and paper gingerbread houses to the wreath.
4. Hang Up Your Masterwork Hang the wreath on a door using a wreath hanger, and bask in the compliments as your family and friends marvel at your creative, delectable design.

Nosh on More Festive Edibles

Make the DIY felt food ornaments for your Christmas tree to complete that mouth-watering, festive holiday feel!

Enrichment Data:This project is all about creating paper gingerbread houses using printable templates and decorating them with vintage shades of paper scraps and candy cane card stock. Here's a breakdown of the materials and the process:

Contents

• Printable gingerbread house template (accessible online or already on hand)
• Card stock (available in brown, red, and white)
• Rickrack trim (white variety)
• Adhesives (glue, glue sticks, or a hot glue gun)
• Decorative materials (e.g., colored pens, rhinestones, stickers, pom-poms, or other crafting embellishments)

Steps

1. Acquire a Blueprint Begin by printing a mini gingerbread house template. Cut both pieces from the printed page.

Hint: When printed at 100% scale, the blueprint yields a house that's around 3 1/2 inches tall and 2 1/4 inches wide. Feel free to modify the size to suit your tastes.

1. Paper Prep Place the blueprint on a brown card stock. Trace the house shape using a white gel pen or light colored pencil. You can also utilize a white chalk pencil for a quieter, faded look. Cut out the traced card stock shape.
2. Blueprint Folding Fold down the card stock's tabs and press firmly to create sharp creases. Fold the main portion of the house horizontally, overlapping the squares; this will isolate the house into four sections. Fold up the base flap – this will function as the base of the house. Fold the separate rectangle piece in half to create the roof.
3. Assembly Initiate the construction by connecting the sides – glue the side tab to the opposite end of the house. Ensure the glue is on the inside of the house's body. Glue the base flap to the four tabs on the bottom. Glue the roof to the top four tabs. Repeat until you have the required number of houses.
4. Personalization It's now time to make your mini houses truly excellent! Get creative with shades of paper scraps, red-and-white "candy cane" card stock to craft the front doors, white rickrack trim for icicle patterns, and a white gel pen to add finishing touches. Let your imagination run wild with embellishments like rhinestones, stickers, pom-poms, or other crafting elements. If you have a Cricut or another cutting machine, do not hesitate to incorporate it into your project.

This project is perfect for holiday get-togethers, classroom projects, or as a festive home decor accent![1][2][3]

• Display the paper gingerbread houses on a shelf, transforming your home-and-garden area into a charming, whimsical tableau reminiscent of a fashion-and-beauty runway.
• Incorporate the Candylicious Pompom Garland and Pastel Pink Pink-tastic Wreath into your lifestyle by adorning the walls or doors in your living space, adding a delightful, festive touch that's both fun and fashionable.

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