DECORATING WITH JEANIE -- GINGERBREAD HOUSES

T’is the season for gingerbread house displays and competitions throughout the country. Decorating editor Jeanie Sims recently came across these gingerbread houses in Peddler’s Village, PA. I’m partial to the Winnie the Pooh one. What about you? -- AP

Have you ever made a gingerbread house? Let's hear from you. Post a comment to enter the drawing for a free book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- NO-SEW FABRIC PUMPKIN

I’ve never been a big fan of Halloween, but I do like to decorate for autumn. Today’s quick and easy no-sew craft is a fabric pumpkin that would look great on a shelf or just about anywhere else. And you don’t have to worry about it rotting! -- AP

NO-SEW FABRIC PUMPKIN

Materials:

5” Styrofoam ball

scraps of orange, gold, and brown print fabrics

1 yd. DMC green Memory Thread

3” cinnamon stick

9” length 3/8” diameter dowel

X-acto knife

tacky glue

1. Using the X-acto knife, carve out the top and bottom of the Styrofoam ball, flattening it into more of a pumpkin shape.

2. Sharpen one end of the dowel into a point. You can use an electric pencil sharpener for this. Use the dowel to press creases into the Styrofoam to create the sections of a pumpkin.

3. Cut 2-1/2” x 8” pieces of fabric. Trim to form points at short ends.

4. Using the dowel, press the fabric into the creases to cover the sections. Alternate the various fabric colors.

5. Cut the Memory Thread into two 18” pieces. Wind the pieces around the dowel to curl.

6. Poke a hole in the top of the pumpkin. Fill the hole with tacky glue. Insert one end of each piece of Memory Thread and the cinnamon stick.