When it comes to decorating for Christmas, everyone has their own timing. Some people start right after Thanksgiving, while others wait until closer to the holiday. If you're looking to add some festive cheer to your home, now is the perfect time to hang up Christmas lights and create a light-up candy cane walkway. And if you're feeling extra creative, you can take inspiration from TikTok user @bbethyyb, who transformed her house into a life-size gingerbread house.
How to Create a Life-Size Gingerbread House
To create a life-size gingerbread house, you will need the following materials:
- Foam board (available from Walmart)
- Insulation foam
- Glitter
- Beads
- Pastel-colored paint
- Gumdrop garlands (available from Hobby Lobby)
- Xacto knife
- Pen
- Outdoor velcro (available from Amazon)
Follow these steps to create your life-size gingerbread house:
- Start by outlining a semi-circle pattern along the longest side of the foam board.
- Use an Xacto knife to cut out the outline and cover the entire surface with insulation foam.
- Place gumdrops on every other semi-circle and round beads on the remaining sections.
- Sprinkle glitter over the entire surface while the insulation foam is still wet.
- Set it aside and let it dry.
- Repeat the steps to make more gumdrop boards.
Once you have all the gumdrop boards, you can start building your life-size gingerbread house. Have fun and get creative with the decorations!
To create a realistic gingerbread house, start by making the window trim. Cut a long, thin piece of foam board the height of your window. Cover the surface with insulation foam, sprinkle it with glitter, and allow it to dry. Once the insulation is dry, paint every other section orange, while leaving the other sections as is. Set it aside and repeat the steps to make other foam trim pieces, painting them in different colors like pink, blue, and yellow. After the foam boards are dry, attach the backing of the outdoor velcro to your home and the foam boards. Finally, carefully stick the foam board to the house, placing the gumdrop foam on the fascia and the marshmallow foam on the window trim. TikToker @bbethyyb has shared multiple videos demonstrating how she created her gingerbread house with a realistic look. For additional cheeriness, you can add frosted snowflakes ($50 at Amazon), extra gumdrops ($17 at Walmart), and peppermint swirls ($5 at Michael's).
