From: FaeryFlght@aol.com 1. gingerbread man floor mat - buy a light brown kitchen rug, you'll need a posterboard, x-acto knife(or scissors), acrylic fabric or spray paints: maroon, brown, forest green, and some deep blue) and, white. Cut the posterboard to the size of purchased rug. From posterboard - Cut out three gingerbread men (used a large cookie cutter as a template), two boys, one girl, and cut out templates for border if you wish. Place the cut-outs onto the rug by taping the undersides and pressing the figures onto the rug. Take it outside and spray paint it all. Once painted remove the cutouts. Completely dry the paint. When dry use the other paints to embellish your picture. Use the white paint to decorate hair, eyes, etc. 2. gingerbread *garland*. Make three gingerbread men out of cinnimon/applesauce dough (1/2 C cinnamon; 1/3 C applesauce; 1 TBS tacky glue, mix, knead, roll out over a cinnimon sprinkled surface, @1/4-1/2" thick , cut out shapes, use straw to make two holes one in each hand, allow to air dry, turning once a day...mine took 3-4 days) After they dried, use fabric slick paint (white) to decorate them. Use 1/4" ribbon to make a bow between each, stringing through the holes, connecting them all together. You can make more than three if you wish. 3. gingerbread man wooden spoon. Painted a gingerbreadman in the spoon part, and wrap the handle with marron and dk green ribbon, making a bow and a loop for hanging at the top 4. painted chalkboard, buy a small chalk board, and paint maroon and white stipes on the wood part (like a candycane). Attach two pieces of a plaid ribbon to the top back of each side, and tie them into a bow at the top for hanging. Attach a green clip to the middle top portion of the chalk board. Using white paint, paint a gingerbread man on each side on the clip (looks like each is holding one side of the clip). On a 3 x 5 card, write out a gingerbread recipe then laminate if you wish and embellishing with gingerbreadman or house will enhance the look of the card. Attach this to the clip. 5. gingerbread man apron that hangs on a hook in the kitchen. Using a yard of striped fabric, cut it into a basic apron shape(cut two). Make the apron. Then applique with gingerbreadmen. If you are putting pockets, applique them too! You can also fuse rick racks (squiggly type) or sew them onto the edges of the apron and outline the pockets. Add details to the gingerbread men using fabric paints. Don't foget to cure the apron if planning to give as a gift. 6. toaster cover. Using your scrap christmas materials make a cover for your toaster. Just measure the length and width of top, and two sides of your toaster making sure to add seam allowance. Cut out two each of both sides and one for top. Sew together toaster cover. Applique with gingerbreadmen. Embellish gingerbreadmen with fabric paint. Note: You can also use quilted scrap material for this project or just double the amounts of fabric for each and add batting in the middle of each piece before sewing together. 7. gingerbread tissue box cover! Measure a square tissue box, and used the measurements to make a quilted fabric cover. Don't forget to make the opening at the top for tissues to come out of. Applique with gingerbread men. 8. Gingerbreadman vanilla candle. Hold the candle under hot running water and using gingerbread cookie cutters quickly press unto the wax. You can color the gingerbreadmen with rubberstamp ink. Then use white fabric paint to embellish. 9. gingbreadman wreath. Take a grapevine wreath and wrap with strips of red and white fabric. Making sure that each strip goes around the wreath. You can make a candy cane type effect if you weave one stip first then using the other stip to cover the part that wasn't covered. Then embellish with gingerbreadmen made from recipe above #2, polymer clay, salt dough, etc . . 10. Paper Gingerbreadmen. You can make these with the kids. Using brown construction paper and stuffing. Use the cookie cutters to trace figures onto the construction paper. You will need two for each gingerbreadman. Glue the edges together, leave opening at the top. Gently, stuff the gingerbreadman with stuffing or cotton. Then glue the open end together. Embellish with fabric paint. These can be used as ornaments if you insert a gold thread or ribbon at the top before gluing together, or for garlarnds, decorations for wreaths, gift tags, etc . . . 11. Gingerbread Greeting: Using one of the paper gingerbreadmen and card stock. Glue the gingerbreadman unto the front part of the card. The puffiness will give it a 3D effect. Embellish the card as you like, squiggly border with holly at the corners, etc. . , then add your sentiments on the inside. 12. Gingerbread bookends. Out of dough make a big gingerbread man using a very large gingerbreadman cutter. Air dry completely or put into the over on 200 degrees for approximately 4 hours, depending on the thickness. When dry paint and embellish as desired. Apply varnish. Using purchased bookends. Pain the bookends with whatever design you want that will enhance your gingerbreadman. Then with woodglue attach a gingerbreadman on each bookend. 13. Gingerbread Placemats and Napkins. Using purchased red checked material placemats and purchased red fabric napkins. Applique gingerbreadmen. Use white rick rack to trim the borders. Add a tiny bow unto each gingerbreadman at the neck. This would make a nice hostess gift along with the apron #5. 14. gingerbread magnet. Using ingredients from #2. Make a gingerbreadman with a cookie cutter. Dry as usual. Embellish and varnish. Attach a magnet to the back. 15. Gingerbread Jar. Using rubberstamps and acrylic paint or permaenamel paint, stamp gingerbread design on face of jar. Cover jar lid with red and white gingham fabric. Tear up a strip and use to make bow around the neck of the jar. Embellish with holly sprigs, etc . . . Fill the jar by layering ingredients of gingerbread cookie mix. 16. Gingerbread Cookbook cover: Measure the length and width of an open 3 ring binder. Cut out desired fabric making sure to add at least 1 inch allowance all around. Measure the top cover of the binder. Using this measurement, cutout 2 posterboards, one batting, 2 from the same fabric. Using gingerbread cookie, cutters, cutout your desired shapes. Fuse shapes onto fusible webbing with paperbacking. Glue the batting to the front cover with gluegun. Cover the posterboards with fabric using glue gun. With the larger fabric, cover the entire surface of the open binder, by placing the binder on top of the material. Rings should be facing you. Glue edge of material to the inside of covers, make sure to work carefully with the corners. While the binder is still open, cut 2 pieces of 8 inch ribbon that coordinates with the fabric. Glue one to the middle of each cover. Then glue the covered posterboard, one on each side to cover the raw edges of the inside of the binder. Close the binder by making a bow with the ribbons. Applique the gingerbread cutouts to the front cover of the covered binder. Embellish as you wish. You can put dividers into the cookbook and add some recipes for gift giving.