Gingerbread Dream Home

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After a busy and stressful 3 months, I decided to step away from work and get lost in a little craft project. I had picked up an inexpensive wooden light-up house in a supermarket during the Christmas period, with the intention of turning it in to a miniature gingerbread cottage. I was inspired by my own illustration of a gingerbread cottage. I’ve always crafted since I was very young (remember the Dryad craft sets?) and it’s a great way to take your mind away from any worries, and to relax and dream.

~ Rachel x

This is how the house looked when I bought it. I picked up some bottle-brush trees to build a mini festive forest around the cottage - just like in my illustration.

I began with 3 coats of acrylic paint, and used a white posca marker for the windows and decorative features.

I found these cute little ready-made candy canes, biscuits, pretzels and sprinkles on Etsy. I used a delicious-smelling ‘vanilla icing’ glue to re-create the delightful icing (it was so difficult not to eat this stuff!).

I then glued the tiny trees to the base of the house, and glued the larger trees to the main base of the bell jar. As there’s a light inside, this makes it easier to pick up the house to turn on the light. I dyed some cotton wool buds with pink ink to create cute little smoke tufts of candy floss.

When it’s dark and the lights are on, it’s a truly magical sight. Did I mention that I want to live in this house?

And here’s my miniature gingerbread cottage in my studio. The bell jar once again evokes my illustration, and keeps any pesky dust off. Why not try a craft project this weekend and turn something ordinary into something wonderful and magical.