Every year, we make a gingerbread house. Last year, we made a house AND a santa sleigh with reindeer that we bought on clearance the spring before. This year, I got a gingerbread house from Bountiful Baskets. The only drawback (I think) was that it didn't come with any candy for decorating, which negated the inexpensive cost of the house because we still had to buy a ton of candy. Anyway, it was fun. It went together fairly well, although a wall by the front door was broken when we opened the box. Once it was assembled, we had to wait 24 hours before decorating.
I was worried the house would collapse in the night (the walls are quite thick), so I put an extra layer of icing all the way around the bottom. I'll let you know after Christmas how my bamboo cutting board survives this ordeal...
So, day two, we decorated. We had m&m's, hershey's kisses, sourpatch kids, sweet tarts, mini candy canes, sprinkles and more! It was a blast. H-Bomb discovered that if you twist the sourpatch kids, they make GREAT icicles!
When we decorate a gingerbread house, there are absolutely no rules, we all just have at it. There is no stifling of creativity in this house! Candy is eaten, and some is even put on the house! Everyone sort of decorates the space in front of him/her. Even Sawed Off had a turn with the icing bag! (below)
I decorated the chimney myself! Brown, red and orange "brick" m&m's, with H-Bomb's twisted sour patch kids for smoke!
(notice H-Bomb's icicles under the eave!)
Sawed Off and I decorated the roof on this side.
Sawed Off with the sparkly green gel.
The back of the house, complete with marshmallow snowmen and m&m's wreath!
The front of the house. We had some issues with the sparkly red and green gel icings, but H-Bomb declared that they were "blood and guts" and explained "they forgot to take down their Halloween decorations!" Perfect.
the aftermath.(and Number One's side of the house!)
Happy Christmas!!!
