Gingerbread Birdhouse

Sweeten up your holiday décor with a gingerbread birdhouse dotted with gumdrops, lollipops, and candy canes galore!

YOU’LL NEED
Materials
Wooden birdhouse, 9” tall.
Studio By Sculpey Oven-bake Clay: Poppy #6210, Whipped Cream #6101, Clover #6461, Denim #6576, Iris #6328, Lemon Drop #6431, Clementine #6440, Raspberry Smoothie #6319.
Plaid FolkArt Artists’ Pigment Acrylic Paint, Raw Sienna #452.
6 white lollipop sticks, 4”.
Crystal glitter.

Tools
Studio by Sculpey Super Slicer.
Studio by Sculpey 5-in-1 Clay Tool.
Studio by Sculpey Acrylic Roller.
Studio By Sculpey Shape Makers Leaf Set IV, small leaf.
Ruler.
White craft glue.
Foam paintbrush.
Aluminum foil.
Cookie sheet.
Deck of playing cards.
Packing tape.

What To Do
1. Use the foam paintbrush to paint the birdhouse Raw Sienna. Let dry.

2. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees F. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

3. To decorate the birdhouse like a gingerbread house, make the candy from Sculpey Oven-bake Clay using the following instructions:

Classic Candy Canes: To create the candy canes, slice off one section of the Whipped Cream clay using the slicer and roll into a 9” snake. Repeat with the Poppy clay. (Be sure to wash your hands in between colors so the red will not transfer onto the white clay.) Cut each snake into two 4½” segments. Twist one red and one white segment together tightly and roll into a smooth snake with a ¼” diameter. Cut a 4” piece of the red-and-white snake and lay it on the baking sheet. Form into a candy cane. Repeat until you have 4 candy canes.

Sugary Gumdrops: Cut two sections of Iris clay and roll into a 2” long snake about ½” in diameter. Slice into ½” segments. Roll each piece into a ball, then shape one end so it is slightly pointy. Press the other end down on a flat surface. Repeat using Clementine, Lemon Drop, Poppy, Clover, and Raspberry Smoothie, making 4 gumdrops in each color.

Frosty Snow Drapes: To create the snowy drapes on the roof, cut one section of Whipped Cream clay and roll into a 12” snake. Cut the snake in half and form each segmnt into the drape shape. It should measure about 4½” long. Make six total.

Snowcicles: To make the snowcicle for the eaves and roof peak, cut one section of Whipped Cream clay and roll it into a thin snake 14” long. Fold the snake back and forth to make an icing ribbon 5 ½” long. Repeat for the second eave and peak, trimming to fit the birdhouse.

Orange Slice Lollipops: To create the lollipops, make a jelly roll by cutting four sections of Lemon Drop and four sections of Clementine. Roll each color into a strip ¼” thick, 1” wide and 6” long. Lay the Lemon Drop on top of the Clementine. Trim one end and roll the two colors together into a jellyroll (like rolling up a sleeping bag). Slice off the uneven side, then use the slicer and a sawing motion to cut slices about ¼-inch thick. Make 6 lollipop heads. Using scissors, cut 4 lollipop sticks down to 1 1/2” tall and cut 2 down to 1 ¾” tall. Create a starter hole using th ponter end of the 5-in-1 tool. Press a lollipop stick into each lollipop head.

Red and Green M-n-M’s: Cut one section of Clover clay. Cut that section into 8 equal parts. Roll each into a ball and then flatten slightly. Repeat to make 2 red ones using the Poppy clay.

4. To create the blue bird, cut off two sections of Denim clay and roll into a fat cigar shape. Bend one end up slightly to form the head. Cut one section of Denim clay and roll out into a pancake about 1/8” thick. Use the leaf cutter to cut 4 leaves. Press one leaf in the center of the back of the bird to be the main tail feather, then press another leaf on top of the main tail feather. Press the other two leaves to the sides of the bird’s body to be wings. Create a bill out of Clementine clay and press onto the front of the bird’s face. Roll two tiny dots of Lemon Drop clay. Press on either side of the bill as eyes. Use the 5-in-1 tool to smooth the connections between the bird’s face and the bill and the bird’s body and the wings. Press the bird onto the birdhouse perch to form an indentation. Crumple a piece of aluminum foil and flatten it back out. Place the bird on the crumpled foil on the cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool.

6. Sugar the gumdrops by painting them with white craft glue and rolling each one in the crystal glitter. Let dry.

7. Glue the Sculpey candies onto the painted birdhouse using white craft glue. Glue the blue bird to the perch.

Candy Land: Get creative and make Sculpey versions of your family’s favorite candies. For example, try Chuckles, Starlight mints, and Gummi Bears.