The local gingerbread exhibit is called under the sea so I thought it best to keep Christmas in the mix and make a Mermaids Christmas tree. The coral is all gingerbread covered in royal icing and smoothed with a paper towel that has created a little texture. The little spikes on the coral are candy cigarettes that have been cut into little pieces and covered with a little royal icing. The mermaid, fish, shells and octopus are made from fondant and modeling chocolate.