Gingerbread house template + another fun project...
September 21, 2012
It seems like the theme of the week here on my blog has been gingerbread! During last week's September Papertrey countdown festivities, I created this little gingerbread tread box using the new Gingerbread Lane stamp set and dies...
...and I promised a template if there was interest. I'm happy to report that I have a template ready for you to download, plus a few step-by-step shots to help you assemble the treat boxes, PLUS a whole new project using these little cuties!
You can download a pdf of the template HERE. Each page you print will create two boxes.
For my project today, I used the template to put together twelve of these boxes to create a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. Each little house can hold a small treat for that day. I don't know about you, but my kids go crazy for stuff like this!
I used the circle numbers from the Gratitude Journal set, topped with clear epoxy dome stickers to create the numbers on each house. The Gingerbread label at the bottom is a sticker from Basic Grey's new Aspen Frost collection.
Each little house is big enough to hold several pieces of candy or other small treats.
As for the frame I used, I lucked out and found this one at the thrift store in town. It is 12x12, not including the black frame portion, so it was the perfect size to cover with a piece of pretty patterned paper. All twelve houses fit perfectly with enough room in between to be able to open the rooftops. You could glue the houses directly to the frame, or you could use some adhesive-backed velcro like I did here...
I can't wait to use this countdown piece this holiday season! My kids are already all over it. :-)
Assembly of the houses is very simple, but I do have a few step-by-steps to help you out, just in case. Start by printing the template onto cardstock. I used Kraft cardstock for both my treat boxes and my calendar. It's the perfect gingerbread color! Then just cut them out and score on the dotted lines.
Assemble the box...it will look like a cube without a top. (your cube should measure appx 1 3/4" square)
For the rooftops, you can use the piece that's included in the template, or you can choose to do what I did, and create them out of different patterned papers. It's just a 1 3/4" x 3 3/4" strip, scored in the middle and 1/2" from each end. Adhere ONE of the 1/2" scored portions inside one edge of the box.
Tuck the other edge inside the box. I left mine without adhesive so there would be easy access to the treats inside without having the wreck the box to get it out. If you're having trouble getting the flap to stay put, you could use a bit of temporary adhesive just to help it stay in place.
To give the roof a bit of a curve to match the roof of the gingerbread house die, pinch the top at the score/fold and push down a bit to bend the paper and create more of a curved peak.
They all look kind of cute just like that! And for an added bonus, I discovered these also would work nicely with the larger house from the Boards & Beams set (more on that next week! *wink*).
Then all that's left is to embellish the boxes using the Gingerbread Lane stamps and dies. I diecut all of my pieces from Vintage Cream cardstock. I stamped the solid house background with Kraft ink and embossed the outline with white embossing powder. If you're creating treat boxes you might want to punch a hole in the roof to tie a tag. If you're creating a calendar, you can embellish with numbers. When I made the treat boxes I added a diecut house to both the front and back of the box. When I made my calendar, I added a diecut to the front only, since that back is against the frame, I didn't think the additional diecut was necessary.
Thanks for stopping by today...let me know if you have any questions! I hope you all have a great weekend!
 |