The Gingerbread Doll House

 

When I got the idea of making this wooden gingerbread dollhouse with its resident mouse family I didn't realize how much work it would be.  But I think the results were worth it.

 

I built the house from 3/4" pine and 1/4" pine plywood, using the plywood on the front, back, and roof to reduce the overall weight.  The back of the house comes off with four screws.  There's a fireplace, a sleeping loft, and a little ladder to get up to the loft.  The building was pretty straight-forward.

 

It was the painting that took a lot of time.  I left the inside raw pine, finishing it with clear polyurethane.  I sprayed the outside with a white primer then began the decorative painting.  The gingerbread is two coats of paint, painting around the candy and frosting areas, then stippled all over with Burnt Umber.  I also used Burnt Umber to shade under the shapes of all the candies and frosting forming the shadows cast on the gingerbread.  The candies were the most fun, especially the little raspberry candies over the door.  To protect it, I added three layers of brush-on acrylic satin varnish.

 

I needle-felted the little mice.  There are three - a mom, dad, and baby - just like in my daughter's family.  I shipped it to them yesterday.  I'm hoping they'll like it and that it will become part of their Christmas tradition for years to come.