Holiday Gingerbread House

Materials:

brown and white mat board
white dimensional paint
red and green dimensional paints - optional
decorative background papers
scissors or craft knife
ruler
pencil
glue gun and glue sticks
cinnamon sticks
small decorative trinkets - trees, candy canes, pinecones
gingerbread man rubber stamps
Fimo clay to make gingerbread men
11/16" cork sheet for stamping gingerbread men (gasket cork available from auto parts stores)
snow-texture medium (Snow-tex)

1. Cut brown mat board in these sizes:

a. two boards 5" x 4-1/2"
 - for sides of the house
b. two boards 4-3/4" x 6-3/4"
 - for front/back of the house
c. two boards 1l-3/4" x 1-1/4"
 - for windows (figure A)
d. one board 6-1/2" x 7-1/2"
 - for floor (use white mat board) (figure B)
e. one board 1-3/4" 3-1/4"
 - for door
f. glue guide board 4-1/2" x 5"

2. Cut the tops of the front and back boards of the house so it looks like a roof. Measure 4-1/2 inches from each side and then draw a line from each measured side to the middle (the middle mark will be at 2-3/8 inches) of the top to form a point for the roof (figure C).

3. Cut pattern background papers to fit the cut boards for the sides, back and front of the house. Glue these cut pattern papers to the insides of the mat board.

4. Glue the glue guide board to the middle of the floor board (figure D). Leave some room in the front for trees and other decorations.

5. With a ruler and a pencil, draw lines on the floor board piece for placement for the sides, back, and front pieces of mat board.

6. Using a glue gun, glue the front board and one side board of the house to the floor board. Use your glue guide to keep the board straight. To keep the boards from leaning out of placement, place a support box or object behind them until the glue sets.

8. Decorate the gingerbread house by using white dimensional paint either before the pieces are glued together or afterward (figures E and F).

9. Glue cinnamon sticks on top of each other to look like wood and place on the sides of the house.

10. Glue small Christmas trees, shrubs, mall garland, etc., near the front of the house.

11. Using the white dimensional paint or the snow paste, paint the tops of the sticks to look like snow and add more paint on the outside floor board for snow.

12. Use a textural white medium to give your house a realistic dimensional effect that resembles snow.

• The pieces of the mat board for the house can be decorated before gluing the pieces together to make the gingerbread house (figure G).
  
• This gingerbread house container can be used to store Christmas cards and Christmas letters.
  
• A larger house can be use as a napkin holder for your table decorations.
  
• Small gingerbread men can be made out of clay and decorated with the dimensional paint.
  
• You can stamp and cut out small gingerbread men to put in front of your house.
  
• You can use colored dimensional paints to add additional color to your house. Just make sure the white paint is dry or colored paints may bleed into the white paint.
  
• You can make small houses with a roof for your Christmas tree or for name cards for the table.
  
• Use the container as a gift box for a present and wrap in clear wrap.
  
• You can make really small gingerbread houses as ornaments . . . they sky's the limit.