{ crafts } easy-peasy candy houses

Saturday night, while hubs and a friend watched some football (and, might I say, even as a Mizzou Tiger fan, I was felt awful for the Huskers... ouch) the kids and I decorated graham cracker houses with some friends of our own.

The fun part is decorating them, right?? Last year we spent a lot of time trying to get the houses to stick together with mortar alone... but this time I took the advice from an article in the December issue of BHG and made right angles with the squares beforehand.

I melted some sugar in a pan and, when it turned brown, I dipped one side of a square in it and used it like glue to attach another. I let them cool off on a sheet of waxed paper.  Putting the houses together from that point was super fast and easy.

Because it's really all about the decorating, right?

We had some leftover peices of foam core that worked out just fine for the bases.

And lots and LOTS of candy.  Yum. 

Babygirl and I had a few minutes to kill the other day before we had to run to preschool and get Fidget.  So we had a photoshoot with a tripod and a remote.  Happy Monday!!

Comments

[Tracy]

love the picture of you & sweet baby girl!!!
so pretty ~ BOTH of you :-)

[Jade]

great party idea! need to keep that one in the memory files. and you two are gorgeous!! hey, where did u get your little green bushes in the white vases?

[chris carleton]

Thanks, Jade!

 

The little green dishes are footed soup bowls I bought years ago on the cheap and the greens are cut from waaaay overgrown boxwood in my backyard. :)

[mary]

That is a great shot of the two of you! This is going to be a little long sorry...
1. I have a super cute denim jacket from The Gap that is in really great shape - hardly worn. It has fabric flowers, fairies, etc all stitched on it - really cute. Do you want it for the girls? I think it's like a 3/4 maybe. It seems to me that Molly got it for her 3rd birthday.
2. Molly wants to have a bunch of friends over tomorrow night to decorate houses just like those... I was going to just make a bunch of royal icing to glue...but it sounds like you have a better idea. Can you send me an email and tell me exactly how you did it (how much sugar did it take etc)? Thanks. And great idea with the foam core - will definitely get some for this.

[chris carleton]

:)  Hi friend!!!

 

1) That jacket sounds adorable, but Fidge is already in a 4 and we are way past wearing denim coats in these parts... Im afraid she wouldnt get to wear it much before she grows out of it completely... but its your call.  You are so generous!!!

2) I just threw about a half cup of sugar in the pan and put it on high until it started melting and then turned it down to a medium heat when it was starting to brown.  (Watch for scorching).  I ended up having to boil water in the pan afterward to get the remaining sugar out of it.  I used 4 egg whites and a TON of powdered sugar for the mortar.  I made it really stiff, so it would set quickly.  Last year we had trouble with that part.  Good luck! 

 

xoxo

C.

[misschris]

Okay, for some reason, the apostrophe is missing from all of those contractions in my earlier comment. I swear I have been grammar than that.

[nikko]

Cute houses! And an especially cute pic of you and the little one. I think I need a remote... I tried the family picture on the tripod thing, but I can only do one shot at a time with the timer. It made for a sllloooow photo shoot.

[Shannon]

Great craft idea! And that photo made me smile. So very cute...both of you!!

[Kelly]

such a sweet picture!

[Tiffany]

see our gingerbread houses. it's a huge tradition at our house. http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2009/12/start-a-new-holiday-tradition/

btw, cute picture. my daughter has that same dress baby girl is wearing.

[Courtney]

These houses are just adorable ... and I *love* the photo of you two!

[Amanda]

You! A photo of you-- you are a knockout!
Thanks for sharing. I'm going to make these with Mar this week. I have heard hot glue works well, and also read to hot glue the house to a plate so that kids don't have the frustration of having the house shift around on them while decorating it.

PS the baby is adorable. Stop making me want a third.

[Lia]

You two are so cute! And the houses are cute, too. My son's kindergarten teacher has her class decorate candy houses like that for their "Winter" party. It makes for a very festive afternoon!

[mary]

omg! you are both adorable!

[Puva]

I love the last picture. Awwwwww

[chris carleton]

Thanks, Amanda!  I used mortar on the bottom of the houses so they stuck to the board -- no sliding at all.  Hot glue would have worked, too, but I always -- ALWAYS -- end up burning my fingertips!  Im sure you are better than me, though!  xoxo

(Nothing wrong with a 3rd, honey.  This ones a peach.)

[k]

cute pic of you two -and love the last house with the candy cane heart!

[beki]

Hey you two cuties!!

[Liz]

Just look at her - so big!

[molly]

hello, you two!! I love that last picture. :)

[Cindy]

You guys look so cute! What a great picture :)