In 2013 my husband and I focused on restoring our marriage after an almost two-year separation. We chose to restore a vintage camper as a “working together” marriage project. From that sprang the winter of vintage camper gingerbread (need a gift for a Vintage Camper Lover look here).
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As a family, the gingerbread cookies start flowing around Thanksgiving and don’t stop until after Epiphany in the New Year.
I did not even know I liked gingerbread until my then 3 year old insisted we bake some. Read that story in this post with the instructions on how to create a simple no-bake gingerbread house (an awesome craft for toddlers for little hands).
My father, a former stage set designer and now a fine artist, designed the templates for all of these trailers and toy haulers. Other than the air stream camper, they are not more complicated than the basic gingerbread house.
Grab your template below!! Check and find a Gingerbread Baking Gift Guide of “Must Haves” here!
Assembling the trailers and toy haulers worked like a house too–one section at a time with a couple hours drying time. While the trailers dried the kid’s decorated cookies, went sledding or we played family games. Then we all regrouped and decorated the vintage campers. (look here for our favorite gingerbread frosting recipes)
Individual Gingerbread Projects Led to More Fun And Creativity
Prior to the this Thanksgiving gingerbread cookie festival, we had only agreed to make one large structure and gingerbread boy cookies. Often the boys got bored. Or the whole team disagreed on the “design” of the one project.
The castle we produced one year displayed a Christmas castle on one side, but just when you glanced at the other side ghost, gobbles, graves, and gummy worms in dirt appeared for a Halloween Castle.
The Halloween/Christmas Castle created a clever family compromise.
Halloween Side of the Christmas/Halloween Castle
For the Vintage Camper Gingerbread year, each person crafted a project on a smaller scale just the way they wanted! The personality of each designer shines through as we reveal the amazing creations.
Gioia Family Parade of Vintage Camper Gingerbread
Fuzzy Pictures don’t do them justice!
Gingerbread Campers on Parade
Haunted Vintage Camper
Toy Hauler and Toys
Vintage Camper- The Lily Pearl
Coca-Cola Semi-Trailer
Build a Vintage Camper Gingerbread Quickly with a Kit!
Decorating fun in less than an hour with kits. Or you can download our free templates. Be sure to send us pictures either way!! tanya@thejoyousfamily.com
Love seeing the additional photos of your spectacular entry! Thanks for spreading the Ginger love!
Praise God on the restoration of your marriage!! And what awesome gingerbread creations!! Thank you so much for sharing the templates!! Much love to you and your family this Christmas!!
Yes it is all God!