Cozy Thatched Roof Cottage

[Rowanrose]

Cozy Thatched-Roof Cottage




This is the first gingerbread house I've built in years!  I'm not a three-dimensional crafter, so it took some time to come up with the pattern.  In order to make sure everything would fit together (and stand up!), I cut the pattern from boxes and taped it all together to make sure it would really work! 

  Here it is...waiting to be assembled


Construction is almost complete!  I can't recommend using Wilton Meringue powder enough in your royal icing.  It dries fast and tough!  I was able to construct the whole house, including the roof, in just a few hours.


Once it was constructed, the decorating began.  I wanted something cottage-y and textured- no bright colors and peppermint candies here!  I used full size shredded wheat (split in half) to make the thatched roof and that went on first. I then worked on the chocolate dormers for the upper windows and the entryway roof.  I used chocolate melt discs and chocolate chips

I used jelly belly jelly beans to craft the lower stone walls that make up the house; the top portion is pretzel and icing "stucco and timber" construction. 




The back of the house.  I wanted the chimney to poke through the thatch; the chimney itself it constructed of a gingerbread frame covered in chocolate covered raisins. 

I made stained glass windows all over the house.  My favorite it the big picture window on the left side!  I love the little details like the window boxes filled with holiday greenery, and the snow and icicles on the roof.



This made a lovely centerpiece for my holiday table.  It looked beautiful all lit up!

[solarray]

i love the stone walls made out of jelly beans. so cute, it really does stay true to what an english cottage would look like.

[RanaeAiken]

That is super cute! I love it!   The stone walls are so clever!

[mezcraft]

I seriously love this. a) jellybean stone wall. It looks amazing and is so perfect for it. b) the swirly gingerbread piece is super duper cute c) the stucco with pretzels is so inventive.

I love that you just explored a candy store and it all makes sense! It doesn't look out of place or just plunked there randomly.. well done.. beautiful work. 

[Bluebeccah]

That is beautiful!  The jelly beans for stones is really inventive, and that red and blue window is spectacular.  Not to mention the thatching is great!

[SoCraftyTal]

Wow! This is incredible! Your photos capture the detail well. Nicely done!

[Stephsak]

I like the thatched roof: so clever! And healthy, heheh.

[Astrea_the_White]

This is too sweet! I love how traditional it is for cottages. It looks like it's just popped out of a book of fairy tales!

[Rowanrose]

Thanks!  That's the look I was going for.

[lizefd]

love all of it. how did you do the incredible windows?