“Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me!
I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
This weekend, the kiddies and I made gingerbread cookies. Well, not real gingerbread cookies, but they look real and smell even better (I wish there was a rub and sniff button on the computer so you could smell the sweet fragrance of cinnamon and nutmeg these ornaments emit).
We made some of these a few years back and every time we take them out of the box they still smell lovely. These make very sweet ornaments or you can simply have them sit as potpourri around the house.
They are absolutely easy to make and best of all – no baking required.
You will need:
1 1/2 cups of cinnamon
1 cup of apple sauce
1/4 cup of white school glue
1 tsp of ground nutmeg (optional)
1 tsp of ground cloves (optional)
1) In a bowl, combine cinnamon, applesauce and glue.
2) Work mixture with hands for 2-3 minutes to form a ball. If the mixture feels too dry, add more applesauce; if too wet, add cinnamon.
3) Refrigerate for 15-30 mins and while waiting, feel free to browse Craftberry Bush.
4) Knead on a cinnamon sprinkled surface until the dough holds together well.
5) Roll out with rolling pin.
6) Use cookie cutters and place cookies on parchment paper.
7) With a straw, pierce a hole at the top of the cookie (optional)
8) Allow to dry for 24 hours or more, flipping the cookies over from time to time to avoid the edges curling up.
Once the cookies had dried, we chose to paint them
Our little gingerbread family…
Mama loves Daddy
Prior to the cookies drying, the kids printed a little message to their Nana using a toothpick, making long lasting keepsakes with the children’s own handwriting.
The children used paint to write their names and the year
Daddy Gingerbread Man looking handsome
me having some paint brush fun…
the endSadly, the story of the gingerbread man does not have a happy ending :o(
Whenever I read the story to the kids, I let them decide the ending. I’m happy to say that most of the time, the gingerbread man gets away and lives happily ever after (but I learned it was always best to read them this story after they’ve eaten and their bellies are full…you don’t want to know what a little one’s imagination can come up with when hungry and deciding the fate of a gingerbread man).
Wishing you all a wonderful week!
much love,
Lucy
This post made the top 5
gonna be making this tomorrow! Thanks for the great tute.
I love these Lucy! I have made regular gingerbread cookies and decorated with them, but your idea is better. Thanks so much!
Lucy-Those are just darling. I had forgotten all about these. I have a recipe very similar to your that I used to make ornaments for our tree with. This will be fun for the grandkids here. Hugs-Diana
I love this project idea! What kind of paint works best? Craft acrylic?
Thanks for the reminder on how these are made! I really want to give it a go — plus I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your photography and staging. You make these look so dang adorable!! The ribbon spelling love, adorable!!
They’re begging to be made here for our gingerbread kitchen. I can smell them already!
Another great idea! I’ve taken down the recipe.
Thanks for your kind words.
Honeybee, I should have mentioned I used acrylic paints for this project and I actually mixed in some sugar and cornstarch to the paint as to add texture and make the paint thicker(like real icing). ( you can’t see it on the pictures but the sugar glitters a bit. xo
Hi Lucy,
Hope you are enjoying a lovely holiday weekend. I’m back to say, “Congrats, your gingerbread decorations made this week’s Top 5 Hits!” Thanks for another great idea.
Hi
Just wanted to let you know that I “ Featured” you on Santa’s Gift Shoppe Blog Hop today for your great project & inspiration! Be sure to grab the “I was featured” on Santa’s Gift Shoppe Button/Code for your sidebar! You deserve it! Thanks so much..If you’re not a follower already we’d love for you to join us…
Barb
You’re right! It’s too bad there isn’t a “rub and sniff button on the computer”! The ornaments turned out terrific and I’m sure Nana will be blessed. :0
Thanks for linking to my party. It’s fun to see what you link up each week.
Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com
All things you create are so beautiful!
So glad you shared these I had forgotten all about them and I really would like some gingerbread objects for decorating in the kitchen. Thank you for the recipe. (-:
We make these too. I LOVE the way they smell. A pretty bowl on an end table with stars and the house smells soooo delicious.
Cheri
these are adorable, I am going to have to try this!
Thanks for this recipe! can you use anything else instead of apple sauce?
by the way, forgot to say that I love the blog and am your newest follower 🙂
While we are 9 months away from Christmas and 4 months until Christmas, I’m so glad I found your blog. I made these type ornaments over 13 years ago and had forgotten about them. I plan on making them this year and maybe starting a new tradition with my children now that they are older. Pinned this (and many others) of your wonderful crafts on my Pinterest board. Thank you!
So adorable! I would love to make these to take into my daughter’s class to decorate for their tree. Can you tell me how many gingerbread men you can get out of the recipe?
These are so cute! How many do you thik this recipe listed above will make? Would love to do this in my classroom 🙂
Just one little problem, I can’t find the apple sauce anywhere, is there anything I could use instead? Or maybe make the sauce myself (but how?:P)?
Great idea and I really want to give it a try 🙂
These are totally adorable. I would never have thought of trying to make these. Gingerbread men make such cute decorations, and I love being able to personalize them 🙂