How to Create a Felt Gingerbread Photo House
I would like to first say I got this idea from a project on DIY about making felt gingerbread houses. Unfortunately it was showing at exactly the moment my son decided he forgot how to get ready for school, so instead of enjoying a cup of coffee and watching this awesome project unfold I spent the next 30 minutes searching for lost homework, toothbrush, hair brush, socks, and...well, etc.
So after I got his lovely behind on the bus I ran home to search the internet for the details on DIY. No such luck. I frantically search other sites and the following instructions are what I put together thinking on how the craft would work best.
MY INPUT INTO THIS PROJECT, came out of that pesky and oh so annoying feeling, GUILT. You see my husband and I moved our family to another state. Leaving both sets of grandparents to fend for themselves during the holidays. And for the last five years just around September and October I got gentle but firm suggestions of us coming coming home for the Christmas. We have not been able to make it so far and believe me the guilt over this has built up. So to make a long story short I thought what a great idea to make this gingerbread house for the grandparents but make it even more special by transforming into more a gingerbread photo house, each side would have a "window" where I could slip a family photos in.
The most important thing is, at least for me, was to keep this a NO SEW project. My sewing machine and I have not been on speaking terms for quite some time. I think it actually moved out or found a nice dark corner way back in a forgotten closet. So get out your tacky glue and scissors and you are good to go. No hot glue guns here either my fingertips refuse to go near one ever again.
You Need:
Various colors of felt. I bought mine in small squares for .20 cents a piece. I bought Purple, Dark Pink, Light Pink, Lime, Yellow and white.
Dark brown felt: I had to have this cut I couldn't find this ginger bread color in a square. And obviously it would have to be larger than the squares anyways.
White embroidery thread: I know I said NO SEW but this is for hand stitching. And I find hand stitching very theraputic. But if arthritis is a problem see below for other options
Four squares of clear plastic equal to the size of your pictures. I used the plasitc covers off the box that my Christmas Cards came in. I also could have used this clear plastic shower curtain I had no use for. Fabric stores also sell clear plastic in varying degrees of thickness.
Now for the family pictures, I used 4 x 6. You pick your size preference. I am placing a 4 x 6 picture on each of the four sides of the houses. So I measured at least another inch on each side of the picture for decorating along the "walls".
You also need some cardboard to cut out your house and tape it all together. I used three cereal boxes. Your finished felt house will slide right over the constructed house. You will need 2 of each: front, sides and roof.
1. Cut out your carboards
2. Place your cardboard pieces on the brown felt and outline leaving an extra 1/2" seam as you draw the outline. Keeping in mind you need this allowance when you seam up the edges. Check options below if you don't want this type of look.
3. I decorated each side before sewing up the edges. Just thought this would be easier. And honestly I just used my imagination. I used tacky glue for the cutouts and sewed beads on. I also made some kind of border as my "frame for the Pictures making sure there was about a 1/4" allowance for me to slip the plastic and picture in.
4. Ok here is the tricky part. Stitching the seams. I learned this stitch a while ago but have no idea what it is called. Put to pieces together back to back, you can start with whichever you want. Ok check the pictures below it's easier for me than trying to describe.
This is what I did. It doesn't matter which two pieces you start with. I started with a side and the front piece. Taking the edges together (insides facing eachother) I pulled the needle up through the inside so the knotted end doesn't show and than...you know what I am confusing myself I will do a picture.
***But if you don't want this look you also just sew a seam turning the edges inside out. Another idea was to use spray adhesive to attach all sides to the cardboard house and than us puffy paint to outline maybe even some sparkly stuff. Or cut out some colored felt and glue along the edges.
As you can see this is really a nice afternoon project. And with the no sew options your kids would love this. They could make there own small crayon drawings of Christmas and put these in the frames instead of photos.
Also you will find once you have finished one you will think up all kinds of other options. I am already on my next one. Really the one thing I loved about this project was that I could finish this in one day. I have started so many projects that take too long and with Kids and Husband interuptions I really never finish.
Have fun and most of all HAVE A WONDERFUL AND SAFE HOLIDAY!!
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