Gingerbread Garland

Photo & Instructions from Kaboose.com  - with a few personal alterations ;-)

Today, I'm sharing a fun project idea from Kaboose.com - Add some cuteness to your holiday home decor!  The level of ankle-biter involvement depends on the age of the child(ren).  If they are older and well practiced in scissor cutting, they can tackle this project with little to no adult involvement.   If your kids are young, do the cutting yourself and let them decorate.  

I'd like to offer an alternative to the instructions to paint the gingerbread garland.  If the ankle-biters are young, your garland is at risk of tearing, especially if they are a child that loves to drown their beloved projects in paint.  The grocery bag paper is pretty heavy, but may succumb to wetness.  Instead, try using  some inexpensive oil pastels!  They are soft in consistency, so the color will transfer easily.  Also, the colors will be more vibrant on the brown paper than using regular crayons, colored pencils or markers.  Crayola makes some good oil pastels and they are very affordable.  You can find them in most craft stores and home stores (like Target & Walmart).

SUPPLIES:

• Brown paper grocery bag (this is a good time to recycle your paper bags!)
• Gingerbread girl and boy cookie cutters
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Acrylic paint: white, red, pink, purple, orange, green, light blue, black OR oil pastels
• Paintbrush (if using paint)
• Glue or Tape
• Yarn

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut a 7” wide strip the length of the paper grocery bag.
2. Decide which side you want to be the front and turn over so that the back is facing up.
3. Place gingerbread boy cookie cutter at the left side of the paper strip. Use pencil to trace the outline of the cookie cutter.
4. Place gingerbread girl cookie cutter just to the right of the tracing of the boy gingerbread and trace with pencil.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you run out of room on the paper.
6. Use scissors to cut the outlines of the gingerbread people out, keeping them connected. Do not cut the gingerbread people out separately. If need be, cut around your tracing marks rather than on them to give yourself “padding” which will make up for any gaps between the tracings.
7. Turn paper over so that your pencil marks are now facing down.
8. DECORATE with your paint or oil pastels!  Dot buttons on by dipping the handle end of the paintbrush into the paint and then onto your paper.  Use thin paintbrush (or oil pastels) to add the “rick-rack” squiggles with white paint around wrists, ankles, and skirts.  Use a thin paintbrush or black marker to add smiles them dot on pink for cheeks with handle end of paintbrush.  Dot on eyes with black or dark brown and paint on red bowties for the boys.  Whatever your creative heart desires!
9. Glue or tape a loop of yarn to the backs of each end piece so you are able to hang your garland.

TIPS:

• Craft paper will work in place of a brown paper grocery bag. You can also use brown construction paper.
• Cut individual gingerbreads to glue to cards and packages.
• Always have some back-up Scotch tape to fix any tears.  Just line up the ripped gingerbread man and place a strip of tape to the backside.

Have fun & get messy!  ~ Miss Jenna  ☺