Felt Gingerbread Houses

Total Time Needed:: 1-2 Hours

It may look as if these colorful gingerbread houses came from the set of the 1964 TV classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but really they're a backdrop for your kids' creativity. Made from drink cartons and felt, the houses sport movable decorations that let kids play with them and change their look on a whim.

Materials

Utility knife or kitchen shears
Empty drink cartons (we used 1/2-gallon, pint, and 8-ounce sizes)
Brown felt
Strong, nontoxic glue (we like Crafter's Pick The Ultimate Glue for its ability to stick to waxy surfaces)

Card stock
White rickrack
Felt in various colors (for candies and other details)
Pom-poms

Instructions

For stability, use a utility knife or kitchen shears to cut off a carton's bottom, then cut off the top seam, as shown below (a parent's job). Measure and cut brown felt to cover the sides of the carton and glue it in place.
Make a roof by cutting a piece of card stock that's slightly larger than the carton on all four sides (so the roof will have overhangs). Make a peak by creasing the center of the card stock. Glue brown felt on both sides, then glue the roof to the carton.
Glue rickrack to the roof and the house.
Create the movable pieces by cutting out felt windows, doors, candy, and other decorations, then gluing on any secondary elements, such as pom-pom doorknobs.