A life-size gingerbread house is a testament to your Christmas spirit.
When it comes to holiday decorating, December is a time to pull out all the stops for some extravagant displays of festive cheer. If you're looking for an outdoor decorating theme that's a little different from the typical fare of lights displays, set up a giant gingerbread house display that can be lit at night or enjoyed during daylight. Make large candy and cookie displays using commonly available and inexpensive craft supplies.
PVC Pipe Candy Cane
Use long, white poles of PVC pipe and some red ribbon to make giant candy canes in a variety of sizes. Glue the ribbon to the bottom of the pole using tacky craft glue or hot glue, applying the glue to the tip of the ribbon and folding it over the end of the pole. Wrap the ribbon up the pipe; you can position the coils of the ribbon at any distances you like from each other, but keep them consistent. Glue the ribbon at the top of the pipe. Use any size of PVC pipe and ribbon that's at least a half inch thick.
Balloon Lollipops
Using craft dowels or narrow PVC pipe (about a half inch diameter), make balloon lollipops. Blow up the balloon, then attach it to the end of the stick using a small strip of masking tape or string. Wrap the balloon in a large square of colored craft cellophane, gathering the plastic beneath the base of the balloon and securing it with a few strips of clear tape.
Plaster Gingerbread Men
Make large, realistic-looking gingerbread mean (and women) using plaster. Make the shapes of the gingerbread people from cardboard, then apply plaster of Paris to give them a thick coat of material that will resemble the texture of a baked cookie when viewed from a few feet away. Mix the plaster so that it's thick and pasty, and smooth it out as much as possible when you apply it. After the plaster dries, paint it brown with a coat of wall paint or spray paint, then paint on the face and frosting designs with a second coat of paint after the brown paint dries. Use matte paint, since real gingerbread isn't very shiny, then finish with a few coats of matte varnish spray to protect against the weather.
Polystyrene Gumdrops
Carve the mound shapes of gumdrops in large size using squares of polystyrene. If you can't find squares big enough, make your own by gluing several thinner sheets together with craft glue. Carve with a hacksaw or other large, serrated craft blade. Paint the gumdrops with bright colors, then apply a second coat of frosty white to look like sugar coating. Either splatter-paint (using a toothbrush and running your fingers through the bristles works well) or use white spray paint and spray from a distance of at least three feet to get a light dusting of white specks.
Drywall Compound Frosting
When it comes time to apply your gingerbread house accessories outdoors, use white drywall compound (aka mud or joint compound) to look like frosting, as the resemblance is naturally striking. If you have to put down some joint compound on a surface without marking it permanently, put down thick painters plastic, then trim the plastic once the compound is dry.
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