Wednesday 14 December 2011

Come Home Soon, Girls…

…your mother needs you!

My aim was something like this

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I had started with the highest of intentions – I’d got some sweets [midget gems and chocolate buttons] and made up a bowl of icing. I chickened out and purchased an IKEA Gingerbread House Kit.

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Bob made me some hot Christmas Ginger [with nutmeg, and a stick of cinnamon to stir with] and I set out everything on my lovely new Kitchen Tablecloth [1m of festive red oilcloth from The Range]

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And that is when it all started to go wrong.

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I managed to break a corner off one of the side walls as I unpacked the set – then the front wall completely shattered!

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I tried to repair it by cutting a sheet of baking parchment of the same size, and gluing the jigsaw-ed pieces onto it with icing

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Then I attempted to erect the building – but the walls would not stay upright. The roof panels kept sliding down, and the chimney would not fit the angle of the roof at all. Then the front wall splintered into about twenty pieces.

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I put a plastic Ferrero Rocher box inside for support and tried again. Then I dismantled the chimney and used the pieces to rebuild the front wall. And it crumbled again.

“I think you should stop now” said Bob, gently.

“What, not decorate it?”

“No – perhaps a picture for the blog, though”

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So here it is – especially for the encouragement of my friend Alyson, who is labouring under the mistaken belief that whatever craft I attempt, I manage to do perfectly!

I have managed to build a Gingerbread Favela.

If only Liz and Steph were here…they can do this sort of thing much better than I can!

9 comments:

  1. Oh Ang! What a disappointment for you. Tell Ikea their house is useless, maybe they will send you another....and a person to make it up!

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  2. I'd fake it completely with cardboard,paint...then glue the sweeties on. It would be a 'gingerbread inspired house'
    I admire your patience!
    Jane x

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  3. Brilliant..... But I really think it could have done with a dusting of icing sugar just to finish it off xx

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  4. Oh Angela, that really made me laugh out loud, but I have managed to confuse J greatly by telling him you'd bought the kit at Ikea - he thought it was flat pack furniture, not a flatpack gingerbread house and couldn't quite understand using icing to fix it together!

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  5. Good effort, better than I could ever ever do. You should try again practice makes perfect. x

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  6. don't like making Gingerbread house, no idea why, good effort on your part though for trying........

    Gill in Canada

    http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com

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  7. this feels like a challenge - gingerbread architecture time when I get home! x

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  8. We tried gingerbread houses a couple of years ago and it was a big fat fail. So we just decorate gingerbread men instead!

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  9. OK, check out these pages to see what the experts can produce http://www.marthastewart.com/285839/your-best-gingerbread-houses/@center/307034/christmas-workshop#/280739

    Steph - I am looking forward to your arrival - I have the ingredients all ready and waiting!!

    Jen - I did a whole load of gingerbread men and Christmas biscuits one year. The dog got into the kitchen and ate the lot!

    I hadnt thought of telling IKEA I found the biscuits too flimsy. Maybe I should {there was no Allen Key in the pack either!!]

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