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
I am already a fan of Sweetopia on facebook
I just wanted to say that I LOVE your gingerbread house!! It’s just perfect. It was the mushrooms that made me gasp…just what I want!! I may try and copy yours this year!!
It would be great to win that super cute calendar, too 
Hi there! I would love to win one of your calenders. I follow all these wonderful cookie decorators everyday and I am always inspired! Thanks
i WOULD LOVE TO WIN
I would love to win.
Marian,
SOOOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!!!!!!! I couldn’t decide on which pic to pin so I pinned a bunch!! Love it all!!!!!!
xo Amy
Such a gorgeous gingerbread house! And that calendar makes me so hungry lol!
I like you on Facebook!!!
Oh pinterest how I love thee!! I have pinned a photo!
Dear Marian, so beautiful videos, im in love with a pink one,
i want to live inside forever!!
Thanks!
I would love a cookie calendar!
And I’ve already ‘liked’ you on Facebook
Hi Marian! I have always wanted to make a homemade gingerbread house and love what you have done with yours. Would love a copy of that calendar! Beautiful!
I liked you on Facebook, too bad there isn’t a LOVE button! I can’t wait to check your blog for new inspiration, and older posts, too! Thank you for sharing!
I would love to win this calendar to inspire me every day in 2013
P.S. I love your gingerbread house
I would love to win <3
I like you on facebook and have for a long time
Would love to win the ginger bread house
I would love to have a calendar!I have been a FB fan a looooong time!
Pinterest is the next best thing to baking. Pinned a great picture of your amazing Gingerbread house.
Hi Marian,
I just wanted to ask if you make the houses to eat or just for decoration? I have been wanting to try your houses that you made last year but was not sure how long they would last for if i was to give them as a gift.
Happy Holidays
Toni
I’d love to win the cookie calendar!!
I follow Sweetopia on FB
I’m already a fan of sweetopia on facebook. I’ve liked and left a comment with the picture and I’ve tweeted out to you.
my twitter: @jennpalabay
Love all the mini details of the gingerbread house….why couldn’t we win the gingerbread house!?
I tweeted- @hunWFD
Hi! I’d love to win one of your calenders. I follow all your creations everyday! I’m already fan of your page in FB
Thanks
@ Melissa:
Already a Fan on Facebook!!
I pinned a photo to my Christmas pin board- http://pinterest.com/hunwfd/
I love your site! That calendar is super cute! I already follow you on facebook!
Shared the giveaway on my Hun… What’s for Dinner? FB page
I would love to win this!
I follow you on Facebook!
I shared this on my Facebook business page Theme Parties by Rachel.
I’d love to win one of your cookie calendars! You are an inspiration! Love your creations!!
Liked you already on FB.LOve your blog! My kids would love the gingerbread house! It`s one of the activities on our Advent calendar.
I would love to win.. I love decorating cookies
I want to win!!
I Love (like)you on Facebook!!!
Pinned on Pinterest!!
Tweeted, or at least i think i did still new to the tweeting!
shared on facebook!
I love this site! I am so looking forward to building my own gingerbread house someday. Until then, I’ll practice with cookies!
I want to win this!
I’m an FB fan.
Pinned that cute tree.
Shared the giveaway on FB
Tweeted.
Would love to win! Already liked on facebook.
Thank you!
OMG!! Would love to win this gorgeous calendar!! PICK ME PLS!! LOL !
Liked your page!! Shared your gorgeous post too!!
Already a fan on Facebook and yes I would like to win a calendar. I love to bake! Cookies, brownies, and cakepops using fresh ingredients in all my recipes.