Three to four days in advance: Ice roof panels. Use full-strength dark red icing and tip 3 to outline roof. Flow in with extra-thin red icing; let dry 24 hours. Use full-strength red icing and tip 3 to outline roof again. To complete plaid stripes, you will need to work quickly so icing colors blend properly. Flow in roof with normal thinned red icing. Using thinned pink icing and tip 3, immediately pipe stripes in 1/2 in. wide groups of 3 lines, 1/8 in. apart (center stripes of groups are about 5/8 in. apart). Pipe ivory dots where lines cross. Using thinned dark brown icing and tip 1, pipe lines between the pink lines. Let dry 24 hours.

Also in advance: Make green icing trims. For rooftop greenery, tape waxed paper over a Cake Board. Pipe 40 clusters of five or six tip 2 lines, 3/4 to 1 in. long, for pine needle effect. Let dry. For 16 bushes, insert toothpicks into marshmallows. Cover with tip 2 pull-out dot needles. Stand in craft block to dry.

Finally in advance: Make fondant trims. Tint fondant: 4 oz. orange, 2 oz. brown, 1 oz. green. For four topiaries, shape orange fondant into tapered pots, 3/4 in high x 7/8 in. diameter at top, 5/8 in. diameter at bottom. Insert 1 1/2 in. long pretzel stick in center. Roll 1/2 in. green ball; push onto end of pretzel. Cover fondant ball and pot top with tip 2 pull-out dot icing needles. Let dry.

For six pine cones, roll 1/4 in. brown balls into tapered pine cone shape. Insert toothpick in bottom. Starting at top, cover fondant with tip 3 bead icing petals. Stand in craft block until dry. Brush with Pearl Dust.

Assemble house according to kit instructions. Cover seams and edges of gingerbread with brown tip 47 icing outlines. Use ivory icing and tip 5 to pipe 1 1/4 x 3 in. high door; pat smooth with finger dipped in cornstarch. Use yellow icing and tip 3 to pipe 1/2 in. square door window, 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. high front windows and 2 3/4 x 1 1/4 in. high side windows; pat smooth with finger.

Pipe tip 3 red outline curtains and dot doorknob. Outline windows and door with tip 46 brown icing outlines. Use toothpick to mark mitered corners. Pipe tip 2 pull-out dot needle greenery around door, over windows and for 1 1/4 in. diameter wreath above. Edge roof with red tip 45 outlines. Pipe dark brown 1 1/8 in. long scrolls on house front.

Tint 3 oz. fondant brown. Use Baroque mold to make six pearl strips for border; attach around roof with icing dots. Attach topiaries to board with icing. Attach rooftop greenery. Remove toothpicks and attach pine cones and bushes.

* Combine Christmas Red with Brown for dark red shown on roof.
* Combine Brown with Christmas Red and Black for brown shades shown.
* Combine Terra Cotta with Orange for orange shown.