Every year for Christmas we make some kind of a gingerbread house, either from scratch or from a kit.  It doesn’t matter, we just love the simplicity and charm of this beloved tradition, not to mention the smell that fills our house.

One year, the kids went to a gingerbread house building party and came home to present me with a farmhouse and homestead, complete with a tiny vegetable garden and fencing.  It was a proud moment for my mama heart!

It’s always fun. That is,

. . . . UNTIL the dog finds it!!!

It has officially become a tradition for her, as well, because it happens every year now.  We build the house, said dog annihilates it.   She must think its really all done just for her.

We even try to hide it, but inevitably someone forgets and moves it too close to the counter’s edge.

This brings me to the point of this post.  What if we could make a gingerbread house that the dog wouldn’t want to eat?

What if we could build it so it could be re-used each year??

Enter the Clay Gingerbread House!

Clay Gingerbread House Tutorial

*This post contains affiliate links to products I know &/or love.

Supplies

You will need. . .

• Sculpey Clay- 2 oz per tiny house
  • 053 Chocolate
  • 001 White
• Rolling Pin
• Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter
• Oven
• Hot Glue Gun
• Powdered Sugar
• Cheese Dome or Cake Plates
  • Grab these from garage sales when you see them!
• Bottle Brush Trees
• Miniature animals (optional)

Tutorial

• Start by blending a tiny bit of the White clay into the Chocolate clay to soften the color just a bit.
• Once you have the desired color, roll out your clay in a smooth sheet, 1/8 inch thick.
• Next, stamp out your house with your cookie cutter.

• This is the fun part-  using a tooth brush, add in some stipling and texture.   You can take a toothpick and carve out little shingles on your roof, if you like, too.
• Then, taking tiny bits of the white clay, roll it into tiny “snakes”.
  • If you have ever been four years old and played with play doh, you know what I am talking about.
• Position these like royal icing on the walls and roof.

• Bake at 275 F for 12 mins.
• Hot glue the house together. You can stabilize the joints by adding clay to the insides of the seams
• Finally, style, as desired with trees, animals and powdered sugar.

So, so sweet and not too difficult.

The best part is that you don’t have to start from scratch each year.  You can add on and build your own little gingerbread house village, if you want.

AND, I promise you, the dog won’t want to eat this one!!

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