STYROFOAM brand foam crafts

Gingerbread Man Cardholder

Forget baking! Craft this oversized gingerbread man and pin your holiday cards to his golden felt body with faux icing trim.,
   Completion Time - 
2-4 hours
   Designer - 
Debi Schmitz

Materials

STYROFOAM Brand Foam
  • Sheet, 2" x 12" x 36"
Other Materials
  • Felt: 72" antique gold, 1 yd.;
  • grape, lime, light yellow,9" x 12" sheets, three each
  • 42mm comical wiggle eyes, two
  • Large, flat burgundy buttons, three
  • 16-gauge wire
  • Glitter fabric paints: green; purple; silver

Tools

  • Serrated knife
  • Candle stub or paraffin
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Fine-line black permanent marker
  • Table knife
  • Wire cutters
  • Ball-head straight pins, map pins, or push pins
  • Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks

Instructions

  • 1. Wax serrated knife with a candle stub or paraffin. Use knife to cut a 12" square from one end of foam sheet. Cut square in half, resulting in two 6" x 12" rectangles.
  • 2. Refer to diagram to insert a wire centered in short edge of one 6" x 12" foam rectangle; apply glue to end of wire and then push it halfway into foam. Spread glue on same edge of foam and protruding wire. Align this edge with second 6" x 12" rectangle and push together firmly to make a single 6" x 24" piece. Using this same method, add approx. six wires to long edge of 6" x 24" piece and then glue it to 12" x 24" foam rectangle, making a single 18" x 24" piece.
  • 3. Refer to diagram and use a ruler and marker to draw gingerbread man on assembled foam sheet. Cut out gingerbread man, curving top corners to form rounded head. Sand edges smooth by rubbing with excess foam.
  • 4. Cut a 26" x 32" rectangle from antique gold felt. Center gingerbread man on felt and then wrap excess around edges to front. Using a table knife, tuck felt into foam on front at regular intervals to secure.
  • 5. Cut a 21" x 26" rectangle from antique gold felt and glue it to front of gingerbread man, covering tucked felt. Note: Spread glue over entire front of foam to ensure taut fit. Let glue dry and then neatly trim felt even with edges. This is back of gingerbread man.
  • 6. Cut several 2" wide strips of antique gold felt. Glue strips to edges of gingerbread man, covering wrapped felt and any exposed foam.
  • 7. Using patterns, cut following pieces from felt as indicated: two eyelids from antique gold; five stars from light yellow; nine rickrack trim from grape; and eight rickrack trim from lime.
  • 8. Glue wiggle eyes close together centered near top of head and then felt eyelids overlapping tops of eyes. Glue a grape rickrack trim vertically to center front of tummy. Follow photo to glue remaining rickrack trim completely around arms and legs, overlapping and trimming pieces on back as needed. Glue three felt stars evenly spaced to rickrack trim on tummy. Add a burgundy button centered on top of each star. Glue remaining two stars to face for cheeks.
  • 9. Use photo as a guide to add details with glitter paint. Paint smile purple with X's at each end. With silver, paint an X for nose, uniform dots on rickrack trim, and mock stitches on tummy stars. Also use silver to outline smile and eyelids. Using all three colors of paint, add clusters of dots randomly on cheeks and around tummy stars. Allow to dry.
  • 10. Bend a 3" wire in a U-shape hanger. Glue hanger to top center back of gingerbread man.
  • 11. To display holiday cards, simply push pins through card and into foam.