It’s gingerbread house time!
The inspiration for this one came from an unlikely -or likely, really, 😉 place… This adorable felt gingerbread house through Pinterest, made by BoBo Babushka:
I love the way Irene used cookies as roof tiles and stuck lollipops in the window troughs.
My version is slightly different… smaller heart openings with peek-a-boo red, disco dust and gum paste lollipops on toothpick sticks.
The sweet decorations on each side of the house were essentially mirrorred… large blue gumballs, tiny candy sixlets, and different-sized, hand made mushrooms and cupcakes.
I wanted to create a whimsical, dessert-themed, gingerbread house of sorts.
With donuts to be found all around the house…
slices of cake topped with mini macarons…
and the odd gingerbread man hiding here and there.
The base included a little cut-out circle spot to place a little light (battery operated), for a cosy night.
Won’t you come in for some tea and cookies? 😉
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If you’d like to make a gingerbread house:
If you’d like to use the template I used for this house, you can find it in this post here.
Here are a few videos for you on making royal icing for gingerbread houses and how to put the house together (please reload the page if you can’t see the videos below):
How to Make Gingerbread House Royal Icing:
How to Put a Gingerbread House Together
Sources for Candy
My favorite places to find candy (in no particular order) are:
- Old Thyme Confections ~ They ship and have an amazing array of candy. Thanks to them for providing some of the candy for my house!
- Candy.com ~ Another source for an endless variety of candy. Thanks to Sue for this interview on Sweetopia!
- Bulk Barn (local store)
- Amazon.com
*You should know that although I have worked with a few of the companies in the examples above, I only recommend what I truly love and stand behind.
How to Make the Lollipops, Mushrooms, Macaron Cake and Donuts
There are so many talented people on YouTube! I watched polymer clay video tutorials to find out how to make my edible versions of the lollipops, mushrooms, the macaron cake and donuts. I used gum paste instead of course. Click on the words below to find the videos on how to make each item:
… and anything else I’ve forgotten to mention, please feel free to ask in the comment section below.
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Thanks to Ellie of Ellie Kistemaker Photography for coming over on extremely short notice to help me take some photographs of my gingerbread house!
Like the one above which was also used for a group calendar collaboration!
Speaking of which, here’s your chance at winning something!
Thanks to Marlyn of Montreal Confections, who organized a group calendar project where other cookie decorators and myself were in charge of creating cookies for each month of the year (or a gingerbread house for my month, December). The result is so much fun, I love what everyone came up with! And you have the chance to win a copy of the calendar!
Here’s just a taste of what you’ll find:
So cute! Check out the sites of all the cookiers involved (below), you’re going to find beautiful cookie creations!
- A Dozen Eggs ~ Laura
- bonniebakes ~ Bonnie
- Brenda’s Cakes ~ Brenda
- cookieartisan ~ Maryann
- cookie cutter creations (jennifer) ~ Jennifer
- Cookievonster ~ Evon
- DenyseAl ~ Denyse
- East Coast Cookies ~ Jody
- GeminiRJ ~ Susan
- Haniela’s ~ Hani
- Katie’s Something Sweet ~ Katie
- kimsmom76(Susan’s) ~ Susan
- Montreal Confections ~ Marlyn
- SugarDeaux Cookies & Cakes ~ Karen
- Sweet Tooth Fairy ~ Angela
- Thefancyladygourmet ~ Amanda
- The Partiologist ~ Kim
- tricia_z ~Tricia
- Whisked Away Cookies ~ Tracy
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Cookie Calendar Giveaway! CLOSED
Prize:
One copy of the Cookie Calendar, pictured above.
How to Enter: GIVEAWAY CLOSED
It’s easy. There are 5 possible ways of entering. Pick one, pick all – it’s your choice!
1. Let me know in the comment section below, that you’d like to win!
2. Like Sweetopia on Facebook and leave me a separate comment here letting me know you’ve done so (or have already liked on Facebook).
3. Tweet the giveaway, including @sweetopia in your tweet, and leave a separate comment here letting me know you’ve done so.
4. Share the giveaway on Facebook and leave a separate comment here letting me know you’ve done so.
5. Pin a photo from this post, tag @Sweetopia ~ Marian Poirier in your pin, and leave a separate comment here, letting me know you’ve done so.
The winners will be chosen randomly at random.org. The contest closes at 7pm EST on Sunday, December 16th, 2012. I will notify the winner via email.CONGRATS to Heather, comment 170 for winning the calendar!
Thanks to everyone who entered and Happy Holidays!
xo,
Marian
Dar says
I’d like to win!
Dar says
and I like sweetopia on Facebook
Simone says
Hi I’d love to know how you made the red “sugar” trees at the front of the gingerbread house? Or do you buy them like this ? Thanks I love the houses they’re all gorgeous!
Simone
mare says
I want to win and I like Sweetopia on FB!
Zaneta says
I shared the giveaway via facebook.
Katydoescookies says
Hi, have followed you for a long time. Would love the calendar. –Katy
Sue {munchkin munchies} says
I’d love to win! Your gingerbread house is ADORE-able!
Katydoescookies says
and liked you on Facebook! –Katy
Sue {munchkin munchies} says
I already like you on facebook:)
Claudia Rivera says
I would love to win!
Natalie says
I’d LLLLLOOOOVVVVEEEE to win! I think this is one of the cutest things I’ve seen in a long time!
Natalie says
I already liked you on Facebook. : ) @ Natalie:
Maggie says
i’d like to win!
Maggie says
I “liked” Sweetopia on Facebook!
Lily says
What a cool calendar. I’d like to win! 🙂
Susan E says
I like & already liked Sweetopia.:-). Thanks.
Maggie says
third time’s the charm; i pinned a photo from this post and tagged you!
Susan E says
I just shared about this giveaway of the cookie calendar. Love that idea.:-)
Tobi Drabczyk says
I would love to win.
Tobi Drabczyk says
I am a fan on Facebook.
Tobi Drabczyk says
I have shared this on my Facebook page.
Ronda Covey says
I shared your giveaway on FB! I would LOVE to win for my grandkids! What fun we could have!
Lisa Cornely says
Beautiful gingerbread house Marian. I love all of the sweet little details, especially the layer cake, lollipops, and the cookie roof. It is fabulous.
Jadine F says
I’d love to win and follow you on FB. I love that little layered cake. Such intricate details. AMAZING !!
Beth P says
I’d love to win!
Beth P says
I like Sweetopia on facebook.
Yvonne Gallardo says
I would love to win! Everything looks so beautiful. I also liked Seetopia on facebook.
Irene says
Oh yum!!! I LOVE your version…and the details!
Maite says
I would like to win and I follow you in Facebook. Thankyou
niner bakes says
Ohh Marian, I L O V E today’s post!!!
I love that gingerbread house, it is so so so adorable and full of details (you know how much I love details lol).
Those polymer clay videos are allllways great eh, and your outcome with gumpaste is just way too cute to be true. Especially the cake, LOVE IT!
Since I am such a huge fan of lights, it was especially awesome for me to see the house has a little light in it.
To answer your question:
I WOULD COME IN for some tea and cookies!
Thanks so much for sharing, I really have to start making one!
love, xoxo..
niner
🙂
Miss Cuit says
I would loooove to win!:)
Miss Cuit says
I follow you in Facebook.
ROSA MARY FEIJOO says
¡¡¡ I LOVE THIS HOUSE… MERRY CHRISTMAS ¡¡¡
marian says
Hi @ Simone: The trees were bought as is… They are called rock candy.
Patti Gramza says
The calendar is fantastic and I would love to see that each month of the year! 🙂
Hugs,Patti
Patti Gramza says
I pinned the cookies and used @Sweetopia ~ Marian Poirier
in my pin! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your gingerbread house too. WOW!
Hugs,Patti
Susan says
I am a fan on Facebook, and I would love to win this inspiring calendar! All of these lovely people have inspired me in so many ways…this is my best Cookie Christmas ever! 🙂
Sue @ Cakeballs, cookies and more says
how fun that is a calendar I would love to have!
Cookin' Canuck says
What an adorable gingerbread house! I’d love to make something like this with my kids.
Esther Dares says
I would love to win Marion!
Brantcookies says
I can’t believe how much detail you put into your gingerbread masterpiece. And a light! That’s so awesome. So pretty!!!!!
Alissa Apel says
I’d LOVE to win.
Michaela says
Hi Marian,
I was wondering what speed specifically you used on your kitchen aid to mix the royal icing…(ie—do you consider low to be speed 2?) Thanks.
Alissa Apel says
Like Sweetopia on Facebook. Alissa Spiehs-Apel
Alissa Apel says
Tweet: https://twitter.com/AlissaApel/status/278149068243496960
Anna Gross says
Hi Marian,
I’d love to win. I’m a fan on Facebook, I pinned, I tweeted and I shared on FB. A bit overzealous perhaps! 🙂 Love your blog! Anna(The Sweetest Tiers)
marian says
@ Michaela: I don’t have a mixer in front of me, but if memory serves me correctly, the lowest setting says ‘Stir’, then the next speed is 2. Either way, the lowest possible setting on your mixer. Hope that helps!
Maria Theresia says
beautiful cute and very detailed chingerbread house,so much time and effort you put into it. love the shingels on the roof!
love to win the cookie calendar!
ML
Ajda says
Amazingly sweet, I would eat this whole house!
That mini cake and macarons!!! whaaat?
Made my day happier , Marian!
Hugs
Melissa says
I definitely want to win! What an awesome giveaway!