Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

Gingerbread houses are one of my favorite things about Christmas. However, one problem with them is that they’re typically on the larger side, so they usually have to sit on a table where they take up a lot of space – they then become a danger to pets or to the waistlines of their owners who pick and nibble at it. Although not a typical gingerbread house, I made a similar small version out of paper, a few types of candy and various other elements. It’s small enough that it can sit high up on a shelf without taking up a lot of space.

What you’ll need:

• Beige or brown paper
• Chipboard
• Cotton balls
• Tic Tacs or other small candy
• Peppermint hard candy
• Small paper bow or bow punch
• Two candy cane stickers
• Four sticks of gum
• Three colors of scrapbook paper
• Sugar
• Mod Podge
• Tape
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil

Step 1. Sketch the pieces of the house onto the chipboard. You’ll need four pieces – the roof, the back wall of the house, the base, and the front/sides of the house. To give you an idea of the measurements, these are the ones I used:

• Front/sides of the house: I did this in one combined piece so it’s easier to work with. The front rectangle is 2.5 x 4; the triangle height is 2 and the base is 4. The sides, which are attached to the front rectangle of the house, are 2 x 2.5.
• Roof: The entire strip is 7 inches long and 2 inches wide; when it’s bent, each half is 3.5 inches.
• Back wall of the house: Trace the front rectangle and the triangle to get the back wall of the house. This piece doesn’t have the sides attached.
• Base: The length is 6 inches total; one inch of space, the house, then another inch of space. The width is about 4 inches; .75 inches, the house, then another .75 inches.

Step 2. Cut all the pieces out of the chipboard, then use Mod Podge to attach them to the back of brown or beige paper. Cut the pieces out once they dry.

Step 3. Lay the front piece of the house face down, then carefully bend the sides upward. Press the sides back down, then lay the back wall of the house face down next to it. Tape the edge of the front part of the house to the edge of the back wall piece. No one will see the tape, it’s going to be on the inside of the house. Stand up the now-combined piece, pinch together the still open corner, and tape it from the inside. When you have the frame of the house together, glue it to the base and let it dry thoroughly before moving onto the next step.

Step 4. Glue the roof of the house onto the frame. I made mine long enough so the edges hang over the sides of the house, but trim it before gluing it if you would like it shorter.

Step 5. Glue one type of scrapbook paper onto the edges of the roof and two triangular sections of the house. I used red and white striped paper for a bit of a candy cane look.

Step 6. Trim down four pieces of gum so they bend on each corner of the house. I didn’t even have to glue mine on – all I did was put a little water on each one and they stuck to the house without a problem.

Step 7. Attach a candy cane sticker to the two sides of the house.

Step 8. Cut two small windows out of one color scrapbook paper, then cut a door and the widow frames out of another color paper. Glue them on using the Mod Podge, then attach a small paper bow above the door.

Step 9. Lay the house on its back, then glue the tic tacs on in a row going across the front of the house and the peppermint hard candy in the center of the front triangle. Let it dry flat, and give it about an hour to dry unless all the tic tacs will fall off and go everywhere – I know from experience.

Step 10. Stand the house back up, then pull apart cotton balls and glue them on the base all around the house.

Step 11. Mix Mod Podge with sugar to create a thick, gooey paste, then drip it onto the roof of the house, especially on the edges. I let some drip off into the cotton “snow” so the cotton looked like it had typical snow lumps in it.

I wanted to keep this little house fairly simple, but you can add any other candies or embellishments you’d like – gum drops, paper Christmas trees, and even more peppermint candies. The only thing I wouldn’t recommend using is unwrapped chocolate. When using candy, please make sure to keep it far out of reach of your curious little pets when you’re making it or putting it on display – my dog was quite interested during the construction process. Also, I highly recommend nibbling on the candy yourself while you’re making your own adorable little house.