What a cold winter this has been and nothing seems more cozy than to do a little baking while sitting by the fire. The gingerbread cookies smell wonderful and the kitchen is warm and dressed for the holidays! These cookies were baked just for you and will last a long time as they are for decorative use only.
I wanted to make a special presentation sprinkled with everlasting charm that can be set out in your beautiful kitchen for this wonderful time of year! An old breadboard was used as a backdrop for all the festive and gay accoutrements which are faux holiday greens, some gently dusted with snow and accompanied by a lit votive, a small wreath with berries that house a nutmeg brown lit votive, cinnamon sticks, a small tree sprinkled with soft snow housed in an old tin sifter and three decorated gingerbread cookies.
A twig branch was added to the greens to gain height (see image 17) for the second votive candle that can be placed on top. Crisp white tallow berries enhance the greens lending a pop of color and remind me of Lilliputian snowballs.
The tree has gay accents of aged candy canes, tallow berries as well as dried rose-hips. An apple spice, wee gingerbread with a heart, graces the top of the tree and is in keeping with the baking theme. The bottom of the tree is wrapped in a neutral burlap base and fits perfectly inside the vintage sifter. This tin sifter is in overall good condition with just a small slot located on the backside……top edge, as shown in image 9. It is a bit out of round on the top edge only. The handle moves freely from side to side to sift the contents.
The three gingerbread consist of a star shaped ornament with a homespun hanger, a snowman and a heart. There is some flour residue located on the back of these gingerbread's that was left over after they were baked. I will included a small pine cone so you can place this behind the star ornament on the board to encourage it to stay in an upright position.
Note: **Please keep the gingerbread cookies away from children or pets as the decorations can be harmful if swallowed, i.e. cinnamon sticks, cloves, anise and wee acorns. These cookies can also be stored carefully in the freezer when not in use and brought out next year to enjoy once again!
The two votives are manual as they have an “on and off” switch located on the bottom…..there is no timer.
All of the above ~ mentioned items can also be used separately to decorate other areas of your home…for example the wreath with the votive and also the tree if you so choose. You may have other items of interest that can be displayed on this board like a collection of old cookie cutters, tiny pantries (pill boxes) or even an old cook book or two.
This breadboard has oodles of surface wear and delightful patina! As referenced in the pictures, all edges of this board have several nicks and deep chop marks present as it was used on a daily basis. There are no cracks or major wood loss to report. After the holidays you can place this in a stack leaning up against the wall in your kitchen to add that special touch of primitive flavor we all favor!
You can really get creative with this fun piece as it can also be used on a holiday table lit up creating quite a stir among-st your guests lending a soft glow of Christmas magic. You can also remove the wreath and gingerbread's so this breadboard can be used as a serving tray with freshly baked (edible) cookies or other desserts placed on top. The hostess with the mostest, that’s you! Enjoy!
Breadboard measures 16 ½” across (right to left), measures almost 12” (front to back) and is ¾” thick. Overall height of tree in tin sifter is 10 ½” tall, tree measures almost 4 ¼” across @ the widest point in the middle and measures 5” front to back. Tin sifter stands 3 ¼” tall, measures 3 ¾” across top opening (right to left), (add another 1 ¾” for the protruding handle), and measures 3 ½” across the bottom. Cinnamon sticks measure 8” tall by ¾” wide. Snowman gingerbread stands 3 ½” tall and measures 2 ¾” across (including arms, right to left). Heart gingerbread stands 3 ¾” tall, measures almost 3” across @ the widest point (top) and measures 1 ¼” at the bottom. Gingerbread star ornament stands 4” tall including the homespun hanger (3” without the hanger), measures 2 ¾” across @ the widest point (edge to edge) and measures 2 ¾” @ the bottom. All gingerbread's are 1/8” thick. Christmas greens with branch measure 11 ¼” long, branches protrude upward and measure 5” tall while the other branch measures 2 ½” tall, greens measure 6” across (right to left). Buttermilk colored votive stands 1 ¼” tall by 1 ½” across the bottom. Wreath measures 9” across @ the widest point (diagonal), opening measures 2” and is almost 2” tall. Nutmeg votive stands 1 ¾” @ the tallest point (back) by 1 ½” across the top and bottom.
