Sugar Cube Igloos – Decorating with Food
Posted by: Crafter
When the colder winds start to blow, you know Christmas break is just around the corner. You may be trying to think of things you can do with your children to keep them occupied while they’re home. If you start early enough, you can make sugar cube igloos and use them to decorate for the holidays.
Let’s face it. Some people don’t live in an area of the country that gets snow in the winter. Sugar cube igloos may be the closest some people will get to making snowmen and building snow forts. The good thing about these igloos is that you don’t have to worry about your children’s fingertips freezing or their traipsing snow into your house.
Sugar cube igloos are fairly easy to make. In fact, even young children can make them, with a little bit of help. Here’s what you need:
* Cardboard cut into circles. Make them in different sizes for smaller children. A seven inch circle is a good size.
* Several boxes of sugar cubes, depending upon how many igloos you plan on making.
* Vanilla frosting to use as mortar. (You can use two egg whites mixed with one teaspoon of cream of tartar and ¼ cup shortening. Make sure children don’t eat this combination, however, since the egg whites are raw.)
* Toy trees, flags, arctic animals, or other items to decorate your scene with.
Spread a thin layer of frosting along the edge of your circle to act as an anchor for the first level of sugar cubes. Place a layer of sugar cubes on the frosting to create the base row. Be sure to leave an opening of at least two sugar cubes for a large igloo.
Have frosting/mortar available for the children to dip their next layer of sugar cubes into. Place the cubes, one layer at at time, moving the cubes in slightly to reduce the size of each subsequent circle. Stagger the sugar cubes much like a brick layer would lay bricks. Start on the left and then go to the right, alternating cubes on each side, so you can leave space to place them evenly. Leave the opening until the fourth layer. After that point you take the sugar cubes all the way around the circle.
Continue to build each layer of sugar cubes onto the previous layer until your igloo takes shape. Then go back and then make the arch for the doorway. If you can’t create a complete dome similar to what an igloo would look like, take the sides up as far as you can and then create a roof to place on top.
After the igloo has had time to dry completely, sprinkle sugar on it to resemble snow. Put the igloo on another piece of cardboard and place extra frosting on it to give the other decorations something to stabilize them. Add decorations – penguins, polar bears, seals, a sleigh, trees, or whatever you’d like – to complete the scene. You can also use dried, shredded coconut for snow.
Remember to keep your sugar cube igloo decoration away from a direct heat source as it may make the frosting melt. If you create more than one igloo, you can set up your own sugar cube igloo village. Place small toys of Santa Claus or his elves in the village if you want to include them in the scene. Make a banner saying “Merry Christmas” and place it on the base to help you wish visitors Merry Christmas.
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