Seeing Christmas trees at the store yesterday lead me to think about how I may decorate my office space this year. Since I no longer have a cubicle, I will have to be ten times more creative. Last year’s “Cubicle Decorating Contest” at ACerS may have people talking for the ages.
“Think outside the box.” While it’s easy to say, most people don’t do it. When the very idea of decorating my cubicle was presented, my first thought was definitely outside the cubicle. I blurted out over lunch, “I want to make a gingerbread cubicle!” If anyone was going to accomplish this feat, it was going to be me.
I measured out my cube walls knowing that I would have to pay special attention to the one full wall that faces the main walkway. My idea included a roof line that would tower over my 4′ 6″ high cube. I’d also have to throw some doors on my wide open cube to really create the gingerbread house effect.Brown paper, cardboard, colorful construction paper, lots of packing tape, glitter, glue, real candy canes, Hershey kisses, and some pure white caulk for frosting created the perfect recipe. I stirred it all up and got the results I was looking for.
I won the contest and was dubbed most competitive person in the office.While I will not deny being a competitive person, I will admit that I put 110% effort into my gingerbread cubicle. It was a design and decorating challenge. Web design is one dimensional. I can’t really touch or feel the site when it’s done. So, I look for other things to do as a creative outlet. The cubicle decorating contest provided me with the venue. I thought of the idea, broke it down into pieces, and figured out how to “build” it from the ground up. It was a creation that I was very proud of.
This “exercise” helped me understand how my brain works. Think it. Deconstruct it. Build it. I guess that’s why I like being a web designer so much. It appeals to my creative and my mind.
17 Comments
November 21, 2007 at 7:21 pm
I LOVE your design. How did you secure the top part of the house above your walls?
November 21, 2007 at 8:54 pm
I used four metal bookends that I found in our supply room. I tipped them on their sides and spaced them out across the top of the cubicle wall.
Since I had wrapped the cardboard “roof” in brown packing paper, I was able to slide the part of the bookend that was sticking up between the paper and the cardboard. I secured it all in place with packing tape and used decorations to cover up my improvised braces.
November 27, 2007 at 4:21 pm
I can’t view your gingerbread pictures, could you email them to me? We are having a decorating contest at work as well and I would like to see what you did.
December 2, 2007 at 12:53 pm
[...] http://diannawilliams.wordpress.com/2007/09/30/the-gingerbread-cubicle/ [...]
December 5, 2007 at 2:15 pm
What did you do the year before, you have pretty amazing ideas and how about this year?
Good job!
December 5, 2007 at 9:14 pm
This was actually my first cubicle decorating contest, and I went all out.
I definitely raised the bar in the office. I found a new job earlier this year and no longer work at ACerS, so I’m not participating in any office contests this season. At my new job, I’m the designated office decorator for all occasions, which is even better! Wee hoo! 
December 6, 2007 at 10:51 am
You definitely did go all out and I’m glad you won the prize good luck with your new functions.
Thanks for the response
I think making the roof will be hard to do!
December 6, 2007 at 11:08 am
One last question?
How did you make the lolipops and the windows of your house?
Happy Holidays
December 6, 2007 at 11:19 am
I made the lollipops swirl in Photoshop. If you don’t use Photoshop, you can download clip art for free for use in Microsoft Word at microsoft.com.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
December 6, 2007 at 11:22 am
Thanks and to you too and the windows you just cut out and put what around for the effect?
December 13, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Someone in my company did this and it looks great. Thanks
December 14, 2007 at 1:46 pm
If anyone has photos they’d like to share of their creations, I’d love to see them! Thanks! ~D
June 3, 2008 at 3:20 am
Copilot says : I absolutely agree with this !
June 19, 2008 at 10:05 am
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Earle!!!
November 25, 2008 at 12:58 pm
This is what my co-worker did for her cube. she is VERY creative
please view the link. She actually was in a paper house for december. she made doors to get in her cube and had chrismas lights inside so she could see her work….if she was even working! ha!
she could of been napping the whole time! no one would ever have known!
http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i149/x33_esther/?action=view¤t=cube.jpg
December 17, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Thanks for the great idea it was so much fun and we won the contest for best deocorated cubilces. Wish you could see the pictures!
December 17, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Glad to hear you won the contest!