This year, I found myself leaning towards Christmas decor made up of simple greenery and mostly neutrals. I knew I wanted to incorporate gingerbread as well. I am passionate about baking, and Christmas cookies take me right back to childhood. My favorite of our Christmas traditions is decorating gingerbread houses together. There’s something so whimsical about them. Last week, I found myself staring at a stack of empty and broken down shipping boxes headed to recycling. I just knew they were perfect for a little DIY project. I love that the cardboard already resembles gingerbread, and you can customize it to use however you want. Use these little cuties to style a shelf, top gifts, string and use for ornaments or create a garland. This is such a budget friendly DIY and you may already have what you need hanging around the house. Supplies: -Cardboard (perfect use for those empty boxes from gifts you’ve ordered) -Sharp scissors -Ruler or anything with a long, flat edge for making straight lines (I used a paint stirrer) -White paint pen or chalk marker -Twine (optional) 1. Start by preparing your cardboard. If the outside of your box is battered from shipping, look for the flattest pieces and use with the inside facing up. 2. Cut out house shapes. Be creative, you can make them all the same or different shapes and sizes. I like to make them all a little different for a whimsical effect. 3. Using your ruler pressed close to the outer edges, mark around the edges with your paint pen to create a border. 4. Now, use your ruler to make a line dividing the house from the roof. 5. Doodle to your hearts desire creating details like windows, doors and roof shingles. 6. You can either stop here and display your little works of art around the house or punch holes in the top and add twine for hanging. For a simple and fun garland, punch a hole on each side of every house and string together. Also, be sure and check out my simple gingerbread wall hanging tutorial.
