An English Cottage Gingerbread House
Are you ready for Christmas? Beyond the gifts and the food and celebrations, I love how the world just slows down at this time of year. It's a time to disconnect online and reconnect in real life. A time to enjoy old traditions and simple pleasures.
Chloe and I did just that when we spent one whole day decorating gingerbread houses. We decorate houses every year using grocery store kits to make messy colourful houses but this year I thought we'd try to make something a little fancier. A trip to the bulk food store and we found everything we needed.
I hadn't planned on it but my house quickly turned into an English cottage. Does it remind you of Kate Winslet's cottage in The Holiday movie? Gingerbread houses are magic that way - they can be almost anything.
Here's a few ingredients I used:
- IKEA Pepperkaka Hus
- shredded wheat roof tiles
- navy beans and kidney beans for the stone walls
- pretzel stick door and fence
- rosemary wreath
- grey smartie walkway
- shredded coconut snow
- mini ice cream cones covered in green icing (use a star icing tip piped vertically to get tree-like texture)
- coarse sugar with blue food colouring for the pond
I admit I got carried away. I spent hours (and Chloe did too) working away at the dining table, getting each element just right. But that's how it is when you're doing something you enjoy, right? You lose all track of time. The 'stone' walls and rosemary garlands might be my favourite part.
Chloe did an amazing job. She came up with some very sweet details, like a rainbow sled stored in a mint igloo and pasta skis by the front door. She had so much fun and woke up early the next morning and rushed downstairs to add more details to her house. It makes me so happy that we share a love of crafting and creating.
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