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Mum who loves Christmas has transformed her home into a giant gingerbread house

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Published 19:47 8 Nov 2022 GMT

Mum who loves Christmas has transformed her home into a giant gingerbread house

This is what festive dreams are made of.

Lucy Devine

Lucy Devine

A woman loves Christmas so much she's transformed her home... into a giant gingerbread house.

Carmen Croxall, 34, from Devon, has spent two weeks decorating the front of her rented house, complete with biscuit window frames, candy canes and gingerbread men.

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The mum-of-two, who runs a prop business - the Prop Factory - explains how the brickwork is made from water-resistant MDF, meanwhile the chocolates are simply old milk cartons covered in cellophane.

Her lollipop sticks are made from wooden dowel offcuts and an old drainage pipe and the pink icing is fabric leftover from a previous project and ball pit balls.

Added to that, Carmen says around 70 per cent of the house is made from recycled materials.

Carmen spent two weeks decorating the front of her rented house.
SWNS

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"I love decorating my house!" Says Carmen.

"It all started in 2020 - I had an events company and had dressed events for eight years but, after nine months of not doing it, I had a huge void.

"At the same time, we changed our business and started selling products.

"I'd just sold my house and was due to move out too, so those three things led to my first crazy transformation.

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"My new landlord said I could decorate so I did my whole house for Halloween and last Christmas, I did a pink kitsch theme with a festive Tyrannosaurus Rex outside.

"Now, I've gone next level!"

And the project wasn't too expensive either, with Carmen adding: "I didn't spend too much as I managed to scrounge a lot from my work.

"The bricks are damaged MDF that we couldn't use; the lollipop sticks are wooden dowel off cuts and an old drain pipe.

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"The two main costs were the Velcro at £300 and wadding which made the snow at £90, plus a few new sheets of MDF.

The house is complete with biscuit window frames, candy canes and gingerbread men.
SWNS

"The snow is made from wadding. I put colourful cellophane over old milk cartons for the Quality Street chocolates but had to add clear cellophane over the top as the colourful sheets leaked in the rain.

"It's all stuck on with very heavy duty velcro - each brick has enough velcro to hold up 28kg!

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"I tested this theory for a few months prior to doing this and found it worked if the brick work behind them didn't get wet.

"I had to cover the whole house so water couldn't get to the real bricks, and I also used an air compressed staple gun to make a lattice between bricks."

Carmen added that her neighbours seem happy with the makeover, too.

"I've emailed my landlord pictures and told him what I've done. He hasn't replied so normally that means he is fine," she said.

"I think he just likes peace and quiet. My neighbours seem to be happy! They said they they liked it."

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics: Home, Christmas

Lucy Devine
Lucy Devine

Lucy is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, she has worked in both print and online and is particularly interested in fashion, food, health and women's issues. Northerner, coffee addict, says hun a lot.

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@lucedevine

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