• Everyone loves homemade bread.bread image by worklady from Fotolia.com
  
  The smell of homemade bread may remind you of your mother's kitchen or simply tempt you to eat more than you should. The sight of a decorative loaf or ornate rolls, however, may make eating the bread difficult. Work with the bread as with clay after greasing your hands, or achieve artistic results with only your hands and some basic kitchen tools such as a sharp knife or a pair of scissors.
  
  

Alligator

• Roll out Italian bread dough and divide it into four equal-sized squares. Roll three of these like you would a jellyroll and shape them to form the head, body and tail. The fourth part will be divided for legs and eyes. The rectangular tail shape and elongated nose should be placed near the ends of the body on a long, greased cookie sheet but not touching as the dough will rise and connect. Create a mouth by slicing into the middle of the head, propping this open with greased aluminum foil. Shape part of the remaining dough into four logs bent slightly to create legs and feet. Insert these under the body and snip out claws with a knife or scissors. Roll two small balls for eyes, placing raisins in the center, then leave the alligator to rise. Glaze with beaten egg then bake according to the bread instructions.
  
  

Hearts

• Using a sweet egg dough recipe, divide the dough in half. Roll each half to a rectangle approximately 12 by 10 inches. Sprinkle the dough with a combination of cinnamon, sugar and dried fruit, and then roll it up like a jellyroll. Pinch the seams to seal them. Mark out eight rolls, slicing of the way through in the middle between the marks. Cut your rolls apart then spread them out like a fan along the deep cut you made, flattening the rolls gently with your hand. Let them rise, and then bake the buns according to your recipe.
  
  

Braids

• One recipe involving braided bread, a Santa Lucia's crown, is traditionally served at Christmastime but can be adapted to suit other purposes. Make the bread as directed and divide in two. Split the first half into quarters. Form three of these into a braid, and then wrap this around a wide metal juice can on a baking tray or in a cake pan to help form a regular circle. Divide the final piece into three, braid the strands then place this on top of the first braid. Repeat this method with the second half of your dough. Bake as directed, removing the cans when the dough is hot. Allow the dough to cool then brush or drizzle icing sugar glaze and add features such as nuts, candied fruit or candles. Omit the drizzle and tie clean ribbon around one of the braids.