Creations, Christmas Cottages
I had so much fun making a Haunted Halloween Mansion I decided to try making some Christmas Cottages, sort of like mock “gingerbread houses”~
These houses are just like the Haunted Halloween Mansion, but smaller. I decided to do two, with a future Christmas tablescape in mind. I bought some mini ornaments too, to add to some bits and pieces I already had
The cardboard houses look like gingerbread already, so just like making a gingerbread house, the first step was the “icing.” I painted all the “seams” white and added shingles on the roof
When you are drawing or painting a repeating pattern such as bricks or these scallops, make sure to offset the pattern every other row
I didn’t make the 2 houses exactly alike
Now for the fun part!
As tempting as it was to use candy, I opted for tiny decorations and faux candy so they would store over time
Mini lights, ornaments, glass beads, and snowmen all got busy decorating
Santa and his sleigh landed on the roof, next to a cotton ball puff of smoke from the chimney
This one is the Candy Cane Cottage, with a wreath over the front door and a shiny Christmas package waiting to be discovered
A jolly snowman stands on the bright red and green walkway and snowflakes dangle from the eaves
Lollipops, candy canes and polka dots make this cottage a sweet retreat!
This one is the Gingerbread Cottage
Wreaths and ornaments over the windows, and a gingerbread girl above the door, are ready to greet visitors
The roof is lined with colorful Christmas lights
A green pebbled walkway leads around the house to the back
Where gingerbread boys offer you a candy cane!
You might be wondering what got me inspired to create this frosty Christmas display
Last weekend we watched our beach neighbor light up his house for the holidays~he struggled with outages and spots that wouldn’t light for several days…we broke into applause when he was finally done and all the lights went on…
He has a new nickname…. we are now calling him “Griswold” 🙂
[watching the movie “Christmas Vacation” is our holiday family tradition*] 🎄🎅
Thanks for the head start on the holidays, Clark!!
*Clark Griswold is the father, played by Chevy Chase, in the movie Christmas Vacation. He is determined to create the “perfect” Christmas for his family, and one of his goals was to have his whole house covered in lights~
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells~ are you in the mood yet? If not, hit Pottery Barn, it’s magical this year!
source/ houses, ornaments, fence, glass beads all from Hobby Lobby
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What sweet retreats and cottages Jenna! I know they’ll be an adorable addition to your nook in your kitchen and on your table! I’m still in harvest mode. After years of being in retail and living 6 months in the future, it’s nice to not race through and bypass Thanksgiving 🙂
What a great idea! They give the feeling of gingerbread houses, without the mess and they will last much longer.
thanks, and yes, so much easier!
Your houses turned out cute Jenna! I have to admit, I’m really looking forward to decorating this year and seem to be picking up bits and pieces each week-have fun:@)
I love these just like I did the Haunted Houses for Halloween. I’m married to a “Sparky Griswold,” too, so I can relate to your neighbor. His house looks fabulous. We have already started decorating, as well. We’ve found we enjoy the holidays so much more when we don’t have so much to do in such a short time frame. With the decorating done early, we can focus on shopping, wrapping and seeing people we don’t see the rest of the year. Merry Christmas and Happy Turkey Day!!!
haha Kim! I used to get crazy when people decorated early but I have learned that people enjoy the holidays in many ways. I won’t do any actual decorating until Dec 1, but I couldn’t wait to start on a few crafts 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving to you too, we will be here for “the day” with extended family and then head to the coast for a long weekend with our children~ Hope it warms up!!
Too too cute! You have more patience that I do. I have never done a gingerbread house because I was afraid of an attack of the varmints! This, however, would solve that problem nicely.
Yes, that movie is one of our favorites, too. Such cooky stupidity but hilarious! What a great idea to make gingerbread houses out of cardboard. Spunky Daughter always wanted to make one (and often did), but it was too sad to throw them away. They would last taped inside a box in the closet for only a year before disintegrating. Every-other year became the tradition. Anyway, it’s great fun to do, and so wonderful to get to keep it forever. Yours are so fun with the stone walkways around them. Great idea to use the non-candy decor, too. Love these houses!
Thank you Kim, I had so much fun with these I am going to have to restrain myself from not trying to make a whole village in the future! When I was little my mom made me a gingerbread house for my Dec birthday and I will never forget it. She actually kept in in the freezer after Christmas and was able to keep it for years…just in case you have extra freezer space in the land of making do 🙂
I love your sweet houses!!! That is absolutely BRILLIANT! Keeping these year after year means you can buy some fun little things to decorate them and not feel like you’re wasting money! Soooo smart! Thanks for sharing with Twirl and Take a Bow! ox
Thanks so much Robin! Love the party~
Super cute! We usually buy the white clay houses from Michaels and paint them. After several years of doing so, we have quite a village! I like how you used all sorts of decoration tidbits on these cottages.
Jenna, those Christmas houses are soooo cute! You are one talented lady, and I’m wondering if you ever sleep,. You’re always creating and cooking something wonderful. laurie
ha! thanks Laurie, yes I sleep 🙂 I just like to stay creatively busy…but my house would definitely not pass the white glove treatment and the laundry is always piled up…
Adorable Jenna – love this idea!
Thank you! It was so much fun I am tempted to make more 🙂
LOVE your darling Christmas cottages. I’ll bet you had so much fun making them. We watch Christmas Vacation during Thanksgiving. It’s a great movie to kick off Christmas decorating.
Thank you!! And Christmas Vacation is the best isn’t it!!
Your house are just the cutest ever, Jenna! I’ll bet you had so much fun making them,too. Your creative hands are such an inspiration.
What a fun project! You make me want to head out and get the supplies for this. Actually, I was really thinking that it might be a great project for my nieces during the holidays. I’d actually love to know what kind of glue you used to ensure everything stuck well. I’d hate to have their creations falling apart and peeling the paper off the houses. Thanks for sharing your idea and tips!!
hi Hope, I used a glue gun since it’s pretty instantly dry…you could raid some of your jewelry stash for decorations, wouldn’t that be cute! I also love E6000 glue, you have to use tape to keep items in place until it sets enough to hold, only about 30 minutes or so~ have fun!
These are adorable, I will have to put them on my list for next year! I’ve used Puffy Fabric Paint in the past for snow on villages…just a thought, but I really love these-LIT up…so cute! Sandi
oh, good idea! Thanks Sandi, I made these a long time ago and still love them!