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’d love to win 🙂
Marian, you always go all out. I love your whimsical gingerbread house! =) Happy holidays!
I like your Facebook page.
I’ve tweeted about the giveaway.
I’ve shared the giveaway on Facebook.
Aaand I’ve pinned a photo.
So cute…I would love to win!
yes I would like to win! 😀
I liked you on Facebook
Too cute…would love to win one!
´*•.¸(´*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´
♥•.*.*.*.Cherry*.*.*.•♥
♥•.*.*.*.Chick.*.*.*.•♥
¸.•*´(¸.•*´♥´*•.¸)´*•.¸
I want to win!!!
I like your facebook page!
I shared the giveaway on Facebook!
Already “like” you on Facebook. Promise to like you more if I win a Calendar. 🙂
´*•.¸(´*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´
♥•.*.*.*.Cherry*.*.*.•♥
♥•.*.*.*.Chick.*.*.*.•♥
¸.•*´(¸.•*´♥´*•.¸)´*•.¸
I’d love to win.
Have liked you on FB for a long time now. 🙂
Shared the giveaway on FB. 🙂
I love to win 🙂
Hi Marian,
I don’t need to win and I already “like” you on facebook. Just wanted to say that your gingerbread house is absolutely adorable!
Thanks for the link!
I would love to win. I would love to have pictures of beautiful cookies on my refrigerator door to inspire me to make more cookies.
I love this 🙂 would love to win the awesome calendar 🙂
Have always liked you on FB 🙂
I would love to win a calendar with all the wonderful creations everyone ha made;P)
Facebook “Liked” already done… still would “Like” to win a calendar;)
I would love to win a calendar! Cooking decorating is my Passion. I’m so glad I discovered you & on Facebook.
Pinned you on PInterest, too! 🙂
´*•.¸(´*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´
♥•.*.*.*.Cherry*.*.*.•♥
♥•.*.*.*.Chick.*.*.*.•♥
¸.•*´(¸.•*´♥´*•.¸)´*•.¸
I already love Sweetopia and I would love to win this caledar. Unique and sweet!!! 🙂
I would love to win the calendar!
Awsome idea. I’ve “liked” you for a while and would love to win this. <3
I like your Facebook page, a lot!
OOOH, I would LOVE to win!!!
Oh, I’ve also already liked your facebook page!! I LOVE your stuff. You’re amazing!!!
I pinned a photo in Pinterest.
Oh oh oh!!! ANNNNND, I just shared the contest on my wall and hope if I don’t win, one of my friends do! This will be such a cute calendar!!
I’d love to win!!!
I like sweetopia on Facebook!
I am a fan on Facebook
I have tweeted about the giveaway @kids041
I have pinned your photo on pinterest…
I’d love to win! Such a fan of so many of those artists’ work
I don’t need to like you on Facebook – I have for years already! 🙂
Love everything! ! I follow you on Facebook
I loved watching the video! Amazing 🙂 I would also love to win a calendar! What a neat project to be a part of! Thanks 🙂
I have been a follower of your page for ages 🙂
I have shared your giveaway! Good Luck to everyone, but I really hope I win–LOL
I like your facebook page
I would like to win the calendar!
I would love to win a calendar, plus I already like you on Facebook!
I went to facebook and liked you. My Facebook site is Facebook.com/Coni.Cookies
I’d love to win!
I like you on Facebook.