SALT LAKE CITY – It’s starting to look like Christmas!
As Utahners continue to display their decorations across the state, there’s one house in one neighborhood of Salt Lake City that gets special attention – a real gingerbread house that adds some Christmas magic to many.
Giant gummy candies, peppermint swirls, candy canes, a striped biscuit, and even a gingerbread man decorate this house in the heart of Sugar House’s Yalecrest district.
“It’s all homemade, and it was all sort of ‘find out how to go’,” said Virginia Hoffman.
Hoffman says it was a few years ago when she realized that her red brick house near the centuries-old Tudor house could possibly be a real gingerbread house – with a few additions.
“How would I do that? I wonder if I could! How can we turn this house into a gingerbread house? ”Hoffmann asked himself.
The end result is sturdy enough to withstand wintry weather but still looks good enough to eat.
“I told my family about it and luckily they didn’t think I was crazy. So we painted these chewing gums in the kitchen over Thanksgiving 2019 and then my daughter and son-in-law helped me figure out how to put them on the house” said Hoffmann.
And then the interior designer took on one treat after another by profession – a sweet and satisfying love affair that she says takes hundreds and hundreds of hours to complete.
READ: Thousands of handmade scarves and hats donated to Utahners in need during the holiday season
“When I’m stressed at work and can’t sleep, I would often lie in my bed and think, ‘Okay, what’s the next good thing?’ and it would just be a distraction, “she said.
She had help from her husband – a professional artist – and even her grandchildren participated.
“It’s a really fun project with kids and your family, and it was a really fun project together,” said Hoffman.
This year they added a new item: vanilla waffles.
“We made this out of foam and insulation, and then my husband melted the squares out with a soldering iron, and I painted them and got them just the right colors to look like the cookies,” Hoffman said.
That attention to detail continues to please those who drive by, as well as thousands online who liked and commented on a Reddit post from Hoffman’s daughter showing off the Christmas creation.
“I hope if it can put a smile on everyone’s face, if it can help just a little, a little Christmas cheer, that’s the whole goal. It will all be worth it,” she said.
Comments are closed.