Gingerbread Houses

If you want a creative and impressive centerpiece during the holidays, nothing is better than a homemade gingerbread house, and they are not as difficult to make as you might think. It's also a great way to get your children involved. Just be sure to buy extra candy, because for every piece that goes on the house, invariably one goes in their mouth as well.

The first thing to decide is what type of house you want to build. You can always use the traditional square house, but don't limit yourself. Pretty much any type of house could be built out of gingerbread. I've seen farmhouses, victorian, and even an igloo. You could even build something other than a house. One year, we built a gingerbread train. It was darling and a fun change of pace.

I found some ready-made templates you could use, or design your own. These are from Bob Vila, the home improvement guru: A-Frame, Colonial, Saltbox, and Side Gable houses. Or here is a simple, traditional square house from AllRecipes.com.

Next, prepare a base for your house. The size of the final structure will determine how sturdy the base needs to be. Keep in mind that you may want to move the house from place to place and pick accordingly. You can use plywood, a cookie sheet, or a sturdy piece of cardboard. Layer several sheets of tinfoil over the base.

There are many recipes for gingerbread available on the internet. I've included one here, but feel free to try a different one:

CLASSIC GINGERBREAD HOUSE RECIPE

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/3 cups molasses
4 eggs
8 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 egg whites

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and eggs. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; beat into the molasses mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place pieces 1 inch apart onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing
In a medium bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. Blend in egg whites. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick and stiff. Keep covered with a moist cloth and plastic wrap until ready to decorate.

While assembling, keep in mind the following tips:

- Roll dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out windows, doors, etc. before baking.
- Allow the gingerbread to cool thoroughly before assembling.
- Adjust the consistency of the icing by adding more egg whites if the icing is too dry or more powdered sugar if it is too wet. It should be thick and stiff.
- Use canned goods from the pantry to stabilize the walls during assembly; remove them before adding the roof.
- Apply icing-glue to the bottom of your pieces for more stability; adhere them to the foil/plywood base.
- Allow 30 minutes for the front, side walls and back of house to dry and firmly set before adding the roof.
- Allow house to dry completely before decorating: a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Apply candy decorations by putting a small dab of icing to the underside of the candy and hold it in place until set.
- If you do not have time to do the baking, you can use cardboard or graham crackers and still show off your decorating skills.

Don't worry if you make a mistake. You can cover gaps and even cracks in the gingerbread with icing and candy. There are tons of fun ideas for decorating. You can use coconut for snow, upside down ice cream cones for trees, pretzel squares for shutters, tootsie rolls for logs, zebra stripes gum for shingles, marshmallows for snowmen, you get the idea. Check out the candy aisle at the grocery store and you'll come up with all sorts of ideas. Don't forget the bulk food bins, so you can buy just a few pieces of many different candies for more variety.

Most of all, have fun! Building a gingerbread house can be a family tradition your children will look forward to and always remember.

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Now for a self-indulgent side note:

My daughter went on a blind date on Friday. It was fun watching her get ready and wonder about if her date would be cute and what he was like. When she came home, she said he was kind of shy, but she had fun. They built gingerbread houses and drove around to see Christmas lights. I thought that was a pretty creative date idea for boys to come up with. Here's the house she and her date made. Isn't it cute?

Easy Neighborhood Christmas Gifts

Well, it's started. Almost every night, the doorbell rings, and some child is at the door with a Christmas treat or present to share with us. I'm not sure where the tradition of giving neighbor gifts began. I wonder if it's an LDS only phenomenon, but nevertheless, when I get gifts from my neighbors, I feel like I need to give a gift in return.

I decided to share some easy, crafty, gift ideas with you. I've picked things that will be easy on your wallet, but are still fun and creative.

For any family who has toddler's, I'm sure you've heard of the game, "Don't Eat Pete". My kids love it. Even my bigger kids play--okay, so maybe they are humoring the smaller ones, but I think secretly they still like it.

Laminate the Don't Eat Pete game. You can get a color or black and white copy here. Attach the Christmas M&M poem, with a bag of M&M's.

Go to the Dollar Store and purchase a small cutting board, oven mitt, and a 6-pack of candy bars. Wrap a ribbon around them and attach the instructions for this fun candy bar game.



Purchase an ornament and then attach a card explaining the legend or meaning behind the symbol. You can find examples here. See the examples of tags below.



Add a baggie of Reindeer Food to the front of a gift as an embellishment.


You can also use Candy Grams which are super easy and fun. Here are a few ideas. Click on this link for tons more!

-Candle: Thanks for letting your light shine.
-Measuring Cups: Wishing you joy beyond measure.
-Bubble Bath: May your holidays bubble over with fun.
-Chocolate Orange: Orange you glad it's Christmas?
-Cookie Dough: Here's a little extra dough this Christmas.

You get the idea. They are kind of corny, but fun. I hope these ideas will help get your imagination started. If you know of a fun idea, I'd love to hear about it. Have a happy holiday!

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Organized Christmas

Well, the season is upon us. No matter what we do, or whether we are ready, Christmas is coming. Lists to make, gifts to buy, cookies to bake, decorations to hang, presents to wrap . . . you know, you've been there. I have to consciously be aware of my state of mind throughout the holiday season, or I quickly find myself slipping to the side of commercialism and leaving the true meaning of Christmas behind.

In my quest for being organized this Christmas, so that I have time for the things that matter most, I found a very cool website you need to check out. It's called Organized Christmas. It has daily tips and inspiration for keeping your Christmas organized and under control.

It also includes ideas to cut the costs of Christmas. Check out the following links for some unique ideas:

Make a holiday budget.
Print a holiday budget planner.
Understand the unwritten rules of gift giving.
Save money on holiday meals.
Beat the holiday grocery game.
Deck the halls with frugal holiday decorations.

It also has a section on Christmas crafts, which includes thing such as gingerbread houses, (including a printable template), gifts in a jar, and a magic elf tradition. You will find a daily holiday tip, and fun things to print, such as gift tags, calendars, poems, and more. There's a Christmas Countdown calendar telling you exactly what you should be doing every day to get things ready. They are simple things like, plan holiday baking, make room for new toys, create a Christmas card list--all things you would likely do anyway, but in an organized system.

Please don't be overwhelmed, thinking you need to use all the ideas available on this website. Remember, the goal is to eliminate some stress, not increase it. I wish you luck, preparing for Christmas. Never forget the real reason we celebrate.

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Altered Art: Picture Frames

Creating Altered Art picture frames is a great way to use up patterned scrapbook paper and miscellaneous embellishments leftover from other projects. The fabulous thing about altering your own frames is you can match your decor, or the theme of your picture.

The first thing you need to consider is the type of frame. Choose frames with a nice flat surface so it's easier to adhere the paper. I generally use wood frames, but you can use any type. If your frame has a slick surface, just rough it up with some sandpaper to create a more adhesive surface.

Follow these easy steps to cover your frame:

1) Place the paper patterned side down, then lay the frame face down on top of the paper. Trace around the frame opening and outside edges.

2) Use Scissors to cut frame shape from paper. It's better to leave a little extra paper. We'll use sandpaper later to trim it down.

3) Use a foam paintbrush to apply an even coat of Mod Podge to the front of the frame.

4) Place paper onto Mod Podged frame. Smooth away bubbles with fingers.

5) If necessary, trim the edges of paper as close as possible to the edge of the frame, then use sandpaper to sand the remaining rough or uneven edges.

6) With the foam brush, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge. Be sure to get along the edges of the paper.

7) If desired, you can paint the back and edges of the frame in a coordinating color.

8) Embellish the frame with ribbon, metal embellishments, flowers, stickers, rubons, stamps, etc. This is the fun part. Use your imagination!

The frame on the right was created by painting the frame white first and then cutting out small squares of coordinating papers and laying them in a pattern on the frame.

You can use these same techniques to cover any solid object. Covering wooden letters is a popular, fun way to decorate your child's room.

Use your imagination. You can create unique frames that make perfect gifts. It's even simple enough for children to do and makes a great Christmas gift for Grandpa & Grandma.

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Rolling in the Dough

I admit it. I still love play dough. The salty smell of it brings back happy childhood memories, and it's always more fun when you make it yourself. And with the easy homemade playdough recipes below (edible and non-edible), you and your kids can prepare playdough in no time and at a fraction of the cost.

You can also turn simple household items into playdough tools, such as cookie cutters, plastic butter knives, forks, pizza cutters, a garlic press, melon baler, rolling pins, etc.

Remember to store the playdough in Ziploc bags or an airtight container so that it lasts for a long time. And here's a cool tip: Add vanilla, orange, or lemon extract to homemade playdough recipes - it helps preserve the dough, prevent mold, and makes it smell nice.

Most of all, don't forget to have fun and be creative.

Traditional Play Dough
1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 cup salt
food coloring
Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan and knead until blended smooth. Place in plastic bag or airtight container when cooled. Will last for a long time.

Mister Rogers' Easy Play Dough
2 cups flour
1 cup water
Mix together well. You can put dry Kool-Aid or Jell-O in the mix if you want colored dough.

Kool-Aid® Play Dough
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar and Kool-Aid® in a medium pot. Add water and oil. Stir over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes. When mixture forms a ball in pot, remove. Knead until smooth. Put in a plastic bag and refrigerate.

Edible Peanut Butter Dough
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
Mix together until smooth.

Back to School Crafts

My oldest daughter started high school today. I refuse to believe I have a child that old. At our house, getting ready for school is a huge undertaking. With six children, attending four different schools, there are lots of schedules to arrange, clothes to buy, teachers to meet--you get the picture!

Some of my children are more excited for the new school year than others. There are lots of ways to help your kids get excited for school. Making their own back-to-school crafts is one of them. I've been researching kids crafts online and I found a bunch of fun things you can make with your kids to get them excited about school and get their creative juices flowing.

These ideas came from Family Fun magazine online.

THE COLORFUL COVERUP NOTEBOOK

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Spiral-bound notebook
Tacky glue
Pipe cleaner
Colored paper

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Spruce up a plain spiralbound notebook with bold stripes by using tacky glue to stick pipe cleaners (the extrawide, fuzzy type work especially well) onto the cover.

2. Fold the pipe cleaner ends against the top and bottom edges of the inner cover, then conceal them with a glued-on sheet of colored paper.

DENIM LOCKER POCKETS

In just a few easy steps, your child can turn an old pair of jeans into a couple of magnetic pen and pencil holders that mount easily in a school locker.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Scissors
Old pair of jeans
Puffy paint
Iron-on patches
Cloth tape or colored duct tape
8 adhesive-backed magnets (4 for each pocket), each at least 1/8 inch thick

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Start by having your child cut each back pocket from the jeans. (Make sure you get the material it's attached to as well and not just the pocket.) Cut closely around the three sewn edges of the pocket, but leave an extra inch of material on the back piece, above the pocket opening.

2. Now start decorating, first attaching any iron-on patches according to the package directions. Once the ironing is done, apply puffy paint designs.

3. Let the paint dry. Then, with the pocket facedown, fold the 1-inch flap of material along the pocket's top edge and secure it against the back of the pocket with the tape.

4. Finally, affix a magnet to each corner of the pocket (add a dab of tacky glue for an even stronger hold, if needed), and it's ready for hanging in a school locker.

There are tons of fun things you can make and do with your children to make the new school year exciting. You can check out more fun and easy back-to-school crafts here. I hope you have a great first week of school!

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Color outside the Lines

The neighborhood has changed the block I blog on to Crafts and Scrapbooking. So, in addition to scrapbooking articles you may see some regular crafting ideas from me now and then as well. The topic today--Crayons.

Do you remember getting a new box of crayons each year as a child? This is one of my favorite back-to-school memories. I still love opening a new box of crayons and experiencing their rich colors, perfectly shaped tips, and waxy smell. They hold the promise of creative vistas to be explored.

The bigger the box of crayons, of course, the better since that means even more colors to choose from. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the 64 Crayon Box from Crayola (did you know the box made its premiere on the “Captain Kangaroo Show?”), the company has released a birthday box of sorts. It still has all your favorite colors, but as an added bonus also contains eight new Kids’ Choice Colors—colors that kids across the country voted on as “in” for 2008. Check out the front row of crayons on the right side in the picture below to see the colors kids picked—they’re all really bright and have fun names such as “bear hug,” “happy ever after” and “awesome.” You can read more about the new colors here.

Fun Crayon Facts:

*The first box of Crayola crayons was sold in 1903 for a nickel and included the same colors available in the eight-count box today: red, blue, yellow, green, violet, orange, black and brown.

*In the last 98 years, more than 100 billion Crayola crayons have been made.

*Blue is the number one favorite color.

*The average child wears down 720 crayons by their 10th birthday.

*According to a Yale University study, crayons are among the top 20 most recognizable scents to American adults.

*The average child in the United States will wear down 730 crayons by his 10th birthday

So, when's the last time you sat down with a box of crayons and let your creativity wander? Now is the time to put away that to-do list and play! And remember, it is perfectly okay to color outside the lines!

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