Gingerbread Cottage Centrepiece

Hi Everyone

There are only 15 more weeks until Christmas 2016 so here's my first Christmas project for this year. :) 

It's a Gingerbread Cottage table centrepiece for sweets or a small gift or two...

Materials needed:

Papp Art Cottage (26 342 56)

Cernit Roller (79 999 02)

Cernit Knife (79 999 03)

Cernit Tools (79 999 06)

Flower Cookie Cutter (35 370 05)

Cernit No.1 (79 41. ..)

- Brown, Red, Black, White, Yellow & Green 

Oven & Oven Thermometer

Optional: Pasta Machine

Step 1. Condition some brown clay either by rolling it out several times or running it through the pasta machine several times. Once conditioned, roll out a thin sheet and cover one end of the house, wrapping it around the rim of the roof and the sides. 

Step 2. Use the plastic knife tool to smooth down the edges on top of the roof and at the sides. Cut along the edge of the lid. 

Repeat Steps 1-2 for the other three sides.

Step 3. Roll out a sheet of red Cernit to approx 1mm thick and cut rectangles 35 x 22mm. Use a large flower cutter to make a curved edge at one end of each rectangle to create roof shingles.

Step 4. Attach shingles along the bottom edge of the roof so that the curved edges hang over by approx 8mm. Smooth the top edges with a knife tool so you loose the hard edge. Cut a shingle in two to start the second row so that the shingles are staggered. Add a third row above that.

Step 5. Wrap the chimney in a thin layer of brown clay, smoothing the bottom edges down. Condition and roll out a small piece of black Cernit. Cut out a square to cover the top of the chimney, pressing it down and smoothing the join with the brown clay with your finger. 

Cut another shingle in two to start either end of the fourth row. Add another whole shingle to beside both half shingles.

Step 6. Cut sections out of two more shingles to fit them around the chimney.

Step 7. Repeat for the other side of the roof. Then cut out four more rectangles and curve both ends with the flower cutter to create ridge tiles. Lay them over the top edge of the roof.

Step 8. Condition some red and white Cernit before rolling them out into long thin rolls. 

Step 9. Twist the two clays together to create a long candy striped roll.

Step 10. Use the candy striped roll to edge the roof along the front, back and along the top ridge. Also edge the chimney with it.

Step 11. Roll out some more red and white Cernit. Lay the white on top of the red and gently roll over the top to bond the clays together. Cut it into a long strip before rolling it tightly into a 'swiss roll' cane.

Step 12. Continue to roll the 'swiss roll' cane, gently pulling and squeezing to reduce the size of it and also lengthen it. Then roll out another thin sheet of red Cernit. Cut one straight edge and start to wrap it around the cane. Cut the excess at the other edge so that there is only one layer wrapped around the cane. Trim both ends of the cane to neaten.

Step 13. Cut two thick slices of the 'swiss roll' cane and wrap them in some of the candy stripe cane. Cut four more slices and lay them aside. 

Cut a section of the 'swiss roll' cane and roll it out to reduce and lengthen it. Cut 10 slices of the reduced cane.

Cut another section from the reduced cane and reduce it yet further for the door knob.

Step 14. Condition some yellow and green Cernit. Create similar sized blocks from the clay before cutting them into small equal sized pieces. Then roll some into balls and flatten them slightly for 'smarties'. Roll others into small rolls and then slightly curve them for 'jelly beans'.

Step 15. Cut two lengths of the striped cane approx 6cm long and curve over the tops to create two little candy canes. Press the curved over tops together to create the edges of the door. 

Condition and roll out some black Cernit and use this to fill in the door with rows of 'liquorice'. Cut a slice of the really reduced 'swiss roll' cane and press it onto the black for a door knob.

 Step 16. For the windows roll some black into a 'liquorice roll'. Pinch it slightly to shape it into more of a square before wrapping it with some candy cane. Make another square window for the front and a rectangular window for the back.

Step 17. Press the door and square windows to the bottom of the front. Add a 'swiss roll' candy edge cane piece above the door.

Condition some more black Cernit and make it into a small roll. Join the ends to create a small ring for a chimney pot. Press this onto the top of the chimney.

Step 18. Press a large 'swiss roll' slice in the middle of either side of the box. Carefully press 'jelly beans' around the bottom edge of the house. Press 'smarties' along the bottom edge of the box lid above the door and windows. Add small 'swiss roll' slices in the spaces around the candy cane trimmed slice and either side of the large 'swiss roll' slice.

Step 19. Press the rectangular window in the centre on the back. Add a large 'swiss roll' slice either side of the window. Press a candy cane trimmed slice above the window and add small slices around it. Add more 'jelly beans' to the bottom edge of the box base and 'smarties' along the bottom edge of the box lid.

Make sure you can lift the lid and that it hasn't got stuck to the bottom before you bake it. Place the box on a ceramic tile to bake it for 30 minutes following the manufacturer's instructions. Then leave to cool and you are done!

Happy crafting!