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DIY ceramic gingerbread houses.
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5 from 1 vote

DIY Ceramic Gingerbread Houses

Learn to make your own version of the adorable Pottery Barn gingerbread houses. This easy Christmas craft can save you a hundred bucks!
Prep Time2 hours

Ingredients

  • Ceramic Houses
  • Rustoleum Warm Caramel Spray Paint
  • White Oil Based Sharpie Paint Pen
  • White Puffy Paint

Instructions

  • Begin by spray painting the houses brown. Apply two coats of spray paint, letting the houses dry at least 15 minutes in between coats. Then wait four hours for the paint to completely set before continuing.
    Spray painting the houses.
  • Trace one of the houses on some paper, and use pencil to sketch in some designs. Having a plan is very helpful once you start on the actual house.
    Traced house on paper with designs.
  • Shake the paint pen very well, then tap it down on the paper a few times to get the paint flowing. Practice using the paint pen on your paper first.
    Practicing using paint pen on traced house.
  • Then move on to adding designs to the front of your house. Begin by outlining the windows and doors, then start adding small, simple designs.
    Using paint pen to outline windows and doors.
  • Continue filling in the space until you are happy with how it looks. Be careful not to smear what you've already done. Decorate the sides as well if desired.
    Using paint pen to add designs to the house.
  • Next, use puffy paint to add designs to the roof. Scallops or diagonal lines (to make diamond shapes) are popular.
    Using puffy paint to add patterns to the roof.
  • Add extra puffy paint around the chimney and bottom edges/corners of the roof, then use a toothpick to pull it down to make it look like snow.
    Using a toothpick to pull paint down to make it look like snow.
  • Allow the puffy paint to dry overnight before handling the houses.
    DIY ceramic gingerbread houses.

Notes

I used these ceramic houses from Target. They worked well but the surface does have some texture, making them a little harder to decorate. These houses from Amazon are smooth and I think they would work great as well!
If you mess up or end up hating the paint pen designs on a house, do not add puffy paint to the roof yet. Instead, let the paint pen dry completely, then you can re-spray the houses with the brown spray paint. Two coats will cover the white pen, and you can start again.
If you mess up or end up hating the puffy paint designs on a roof, just smooth the puffy paint to cover the entire roof and add a little white glitter if you have some to make it look like the roof is covered in snow.