Emily Faugstad will lead a class on making a Christmas house from graham crackers at the Albert Lea Art Center on Saturday, Dec.

Friday, November 26, 1999

Emily Faugstad will lead a class on making a Christmas house from graham crackers at the Albert Lea Art Center on Saturday, Dec. 4. The class will run from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Cost is $8 for Art Center members and $12 for non-members.

Faugstad has been leading similar classes for seven years. Previously, participants have made trains, barns, churches and log cabins.

She said several people return for the class each year.

&uot;It’s fun, and each one is unique because they get to decorate it the way they want to,&uot; Faugstad said.

She said whole families have come, as well as individuals.

&uot;I had one 70-year-old say it was the most fun she’d had in years,&uot; Faugstad said.

Children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult, and Faugstad said the activity is fun for kids ages 3 years and up. If a parent and child make one house together, they will only be charged for one house.

All materials are included in the cost of the class, but participants must bring a scissors for cutting gumdrops and candy canes as well as a box for taking the house. If people have any special items they’d like to include on the house, such as figurines, they should bring those along.

The icing is easy to make, Faugstad said, and she will send the recipe home with class participants. It is edible, and has egg whites in it. &uot;It dries pretty fast,&uot; she said.

Faugstad said she has always enjoyed making gingerbread houses and barns, but as her family grew she found herself running short of time. So she modified her patterns to use graham crackers instead of gingerbread.

&uot;It’s just a fun family way to start the season,&uot; she said.

Anyone interested in taking the class should sign up at the Art Center, 373-5665, no later than Wednesday, Dec. 1.