Sugar and Spice Fabric Gingerbread Men Bowl Stuffers

Last year I made a silly little mistake that turned into a sweet idea. I had my Cricut cutting out a batch of gingerbread men and because I love white, I made them all from white fabric with little homespun hearts. Then it hit me, Leanna, how on earth is a gingerbread man white?

A bit annoyed with myself, I tucked them away, sure I’d figure out a use for them.

It turns out the answer was simple. Those white “gingerbread” shapes aren’t gingerbread at all, they’re sugar cookies. Once I realized that, the whole idea came together. I made some fun little tags that say Sugar and Spice, added a bit of sparkle to the white ones for that sugary look, and cut a few new brown gingerbread men to go with them.

Now I have a perfectly mismatched set of Sugar and Spice Gingerbread Men, lightly scented, cozy, and ready to fill my favorite antique ironstone bowl for Christmas.

Making DIY Sugar and Spice Gingerbread Men with Cricut

These little gingerbread men are easy to make using a Cricut cutting machine, a simple cut file, and some soft cotton or flannel fabric. The Cricut does all the cutting for you so the shapes come out perfectly every time.

I made two versions: the white “sugar cookie” gingerbread men and the brown “spice cookie” gingerbread men. The process is the same for both styles, sewn around the edges, and lightly scented before being tucked into a bowl or used as ornaments. They’re soft, a little rustic, and smell absolutely wonderful.

Supplies You’ll Need to Make Fabric Gingerbread Men

Here’s everything I used to make my Sugar and Spice Gingerbread Men. You can always swap in what you have on hand, that’s half the fun of homemade crafts.

• Cricut Design Space file: Search for “gingerman” (one word). Choose the plain silhouette gingerbread man that appears as a Slice Result – Basic Cut.
• Fabric
  • White cotton for the sugar cookies
  • Brown flannel for the spice cookies
  • Small piece of brown and cream homespun fabric
• Pink FabricGrip Mat (12×24 inch)
• Rotary blade
• Matching thread
• Poly-fil stuffing
• Essential oil scent: Hope (or vanilla) for the sugar cookies, cinnamon or ginger for the spice cookies
• Cinnamon powder (optional, to mix into the stuffing for the spice cookies)
• Fabric glue or fusible interfacing
• Scissors and sewing machine
• Iron and brayer
• Brown paper or kraft wrap
• Antique or vintage bowl for display — I used a large cream ironstone bowl

Step 1 – Cut Out the Gingerbread Men with Cricut

Start by opening Cricut Design Space and creating a new project

Click Images on the left-hand toolbar and search for “gingerman” (all one word). Choose the plain silhouette that appears as a Slice Result – Basic Cut. It’s the simple shape with little boot-style feet, perfect for decorating later.

Once it’s on your canvas, resize it to about 5.01 inches wide by 6.5 inches high. Keep the lock icon turned on so the proportions stay even. The finished gingerbread men will end up about the same size as a real gingerbread cookie, which makes them extra charming as bowl fillers.

Before placing your fabric on the mat, iron it flat to remove every wrinkle. Then place it on your pink FabricGrip mat, right side up, and roll over it with a brayer so it’s smooth and well-adhered.

Click Make It in the top-right corner. When the mat preview opens, select your mat size. I used a 12 × 24-inch mat so I could cut several at once.

Click Continue, then Browse All Materials, and choose the setting that best matches your fabric type.

I used flannel for both my sugar and spice versions. The flannel was a little thin, so I increased the pressure slightly and used a rotary blade for a clean cut.

Load the mat into your Cricut and press the flashing Go button to start cutting.

When the cutting is complete, unload the mat and gently remove the gingerbread shapes.

If you’re cutting several, keep them in pairs for easier sewing later.

Set them aside until you’re ready to move on to the next step.

Step 2 – Add the Hearts

Cut small brown and cream homespun fabric hearts to decorate your gingerbread men.
Place each heart near the center of the body on the front side only, as shown.

You can attach them one of two ways:

• Use fusible interfacing and a warm iron, or
• Dab a little fabric glue on the back and press it firmly in place.

Once the hearts were cut, I used the same homespun fabric to tear a few thin strips for matching scarves. Set your fabric pieces aside to dry before moving on to sewing.

Step 3 – Sew the Gingerbread Men

Start by zig-zag stitching around the edges of each gingerbread man shape before sewing them together. This helps prevent fraying and gives the edges a tidy finish while keeping the handmade charm.

If your fabric frays easily, like my white cotton, this step is worth the few extra minutes, about five per gingerbread man. The stitches almost disappear, but the edges stay neat and crisp.

For fabrics that don’t fray much, such as brown flannel, the zig-zag can look too heavy, so you may prefer to skip it.

Once the edges are finished, place two matching gingerbread pieces together with the right sides facing out.

Sew around the outer edge using a very narrow 1/4 inch seam.

In the photo, you can see where the fabric edge lines up with the guide marks on the machine and the needle placement. This keeps your seam even all the way around.

Leave a 1-inch opening along one side for stuffing.

Step 4 – Add Stuffing and Scent

Now it’s time to give your gingerbread men their soft, cozy shape and wonderful scent.

For the sugar (white) ones, fill the centers with poly-fil stuffing.

If you want them scented, be cautious when using essential oils since they can stain fabric. The best way is to sprinkle a few drops of oil onto a small piece of stuffing, then rub it in gently to spread the scent. Tuck that oiled piece inside a larger handful of clean stuffing before inserting it into the gingerbread man. This keeps the fragrance strong but prevents any marks on the fabric.

For the spice (brown) ones, mix a generous sprinkle of ground cinnamon directly into your stuffing before you begin. Use your hands to mush it all together until the scent is even. Then fill the gingerbread man through the opening until he feels plump but not overstuffed.

When you’re happy with the shape, hand-stitch the opening closed with small, even stitches.

Now comes the fun part, giving our gingerbread men their personality.

The brown gingerbread men wear a torn strip of brown and cream homespun fabric as a little scarf. I like to fray the ends slightly for that soft, rustic texture.

The white sugar cookies received the homespun heart with baker’s twine bow, and some simple sugar labels.

Making the Sugar Labels

To make the Sugar labels, I used a set of small lettering stamps. I taped the letters together to form the word sugar so they would stay straight while stamping.

I tore a 4-inch-wide strip of muslin and lightly pressed the stamp along the fabric to create a row of repeating words. Use a light hand when stamping so the area around the letters doesn’t leave marks, and touch the ink pad gently to keep the print crisp.

I made several impressions about an inch apart and then cut out the best ones. Each strip was trimmed into a simple fish-tail shape on the ends before attaching to the white sugar gingerbread men. You can do the same for Ginger or Spice on the brown gingerbread men, but I didn’t.

Step 6 – Displaying the Sugar and Spice Gingerbread Men

This year, I am using the gingerbread men to decorate an antique ironstone bowl I found recently. You can also use them as a banner, or place them in a china cabinet with dishes, or in Christmas kitchen arrangements.

II lined a large cream ironstone bowl with a cheerful red plaid towel. It softens the look while adding a bit of color and contrast. The towel also helps support the gingerbread men and keeps them from sinking too low in the bowl.

Once the bowl was lined, I began layering in the gingerbread men, mixing the white sugar and brown spice ones together

My bowl sits on the dining room hoosier cabinet, and it adds the sweetest touch of homemade Christmas to the room, and it smells amazing.

If you’d like to make these Sugar and Spice Fabric Gingerbread Men later, don’t forget to save the idea to your Christmas board. You can pin the image below to keep it handy for when you’re ready to start crafting.

These little Sugar and Spice Gingerbread Men turned out to be such a happy accident. What started as a mix-up became the perfect way to use a new-to-me antique ironstone bowl that I’ve been a bit cautious about actually using. Now it’s on display and filled with something soft, scented, and handmade, which feels like the perfect way to enjoy it safely.

Whether you use your gingerbread men as bowl stuffers, hang them on a garland, or tie one onto a gift, they bring that cozy “freshly baked” feeling without ever turning on the oven. I hope you make a set of your own this season. They’re plain fun to create, and no dishes.