Planning a Fabric "Gingerbread" House

Before it fell apart...

Hubby and I put together a large gingerbread house last Christmas, and while it looked pretty decent when all was said and done, the activity was not a particularly relaxing experience.

I assembled the house and he did the decorating (yes!) but neither of us would describe our task as having been something that we wanted to do again any time soon.

In mid-July – due to whatever – the house fell apart and everything scattered all over the floor. A few years ago, we had put together a smaller version that had managed to stay intact for over eighteen months, so we were disappointed with the early demise of this one.

Given that I didn't want to tackle another kit for the foreseeable future, I decided to put my efforts towards designing a fabric version that would invariably last longer.

It was something that I had actually seen last year, so once again, I freely admit to pursuing an idea that is neither original nor mine. (A pattern called Leave the Light On by Aunties Two features a fabric house with windows that can be used as a nightlight, with the aid of flameless votives inside.) Per my fastidious nature, the disadvantage of an actual gingerbread house is that it really can't be put away easily for storage; with a fabric version, hopefully I can make it so that it can be taken apart and stored flat!

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The Aunties Two pattern sews up a house that's 8" x 8" x 5". I pulled out my project drafting notebook and began to draw a design for something smaller.

I figured that 5.5" high x 4" wide x 6" long was a sufficiently large house to "construct." I would need two side walls measuring 4" x 6", and two peaked front and back walls that are 4" x 4" with a 5.5" peak. The roof would be made out of two joined panels measuring 3" x 7" each.

Pen on paper is the only way to start...

I also started planning for the door and windows. For the front, I want a door (1" wide x 2" high) with a window ( 2" wide x 1" high) above it. The back wall will have a larger (2" x 2") window.

The side walls could end up identical or not. Perhaps one side could have two side by side windows (each 1.25" wide x 2" high) while the other has a single bigger (3" wide x 2" high) window.

Snack food boxes put to good use...

With measurements decided on, it was time to make a cardboard prototype. I dug into my recycling bin and fished out some discarded boxes for this purpose. With the help of a little bit of tape, I soon had a rudimentary, 3D rendition of my project.

3D proof of concept is the next step...

Before drawing out windows and door for size, I want to see what fabrics will work for me.

Putting fabrics to a project like this at an early stage often helps to visualize the outcome and lock in one's commitment. (At least that's how I feel!)

That said, I don't have an extensive stash and have even smaller amounts of fabric that can be deemed appropriate for holidays or Christmas. I'm lucky to "make do."

Choose and allocate fabric to help visualize the end result...

The red selection – which I plan to use for all four (exterior) walls – was last seen on my Collapsible Quilted Tabletop Christmas Tree project; it's from my 2020 Lily and Loom purchase. The "spruce and goose" fabric on the roof is actually one from a set of napkins that I've never used as such. Finally, the "penguin on a sled" fabric is a fat quarter that I picked up a couple of months ago at a discount store for ninety-nine cents. It will be the interior "wallpaper" of the house.

Satisfied that I have fabric to make this work, my next step was to add the windows and door.

Angle on back of house... 

At this point, I do have a plan in mind for how I will construct these panels. Peltex and Decor Bond will be the backing for the exterior and interior sides of each. I will use a combination of transparent and translucent material to mimic the window glass, which will be trapped between the exterior and interior layers. (The panels will be sewn directly to each other like in my other 3D pieced projects, not bound.)

Angle on front of house...

I drew muntin bars on the windows, but right now I don't have a specific plan in mind for how to execute them. (Ultimately, it could be something as simple as skinny strips of fabric glued down onto the window panes... or even lines drawn by a broad tipped black marker.)

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While I won't be aiming to replicate the look of the original gingerbread house in terms of gumballs, candy and other sugar-based decorations, a fabric house does open up opportunities for other types of embellishments.

For example, bits of leftover trim like what you see here in the photo can be used around the eaves of a fabric house. (I actually don't know where this remnant came from, but should it prove useful for this project, I'll be happy I kept it.)

Even things like pieces of ric rac, bias binding and zipper remnants could be potentially useful.

Do you have any suggestions for how to finish this? I'm tackling this slowly and won't be back with an update for a few months, so lemme know if you have any brilliant ideas that I can put to use!

'Til next...