Beginning in the 1920s, small cardboard houses, known as "putz" houses, were sold as holiday decorations and used around the Christmas tree or as part of the Nativity scene in many homes. You can easily make your own retro putz house, or even a whole village, from inexpensive materials and simple patterns downloaded from the Internet.
Instructions
Locate the Plans
1. Locate plans for your putz house. There are several good websites such as LittleGlitterHouses.com that offer free plans and photographs of what the finished product will look like.
2. Download the plans.
3. Print the plans and cut out the pieces.
The Base
4. Cut two equal pieces of the corrugated cardboard in a square or rectangle. Make it large enough to accommodate the house and any other decorations such as fences, trees and landscaping. Since putz houses are so small, a typical dimension of a base would be about five inches square.
5. Glue one piece of cardboard on top of the other with white glue to make a reinforced base.
6. Decorate the base. Using a glue stick, spread glue on one side of the base and place a piece of plain white printer paper over it. Fold the edges under and glue them to the bottom. If desired, when the glue has dried, you can add fencing made from thin cardboard or small sticks. You can even buy model fencing at a hobby store for this. Let the glue dry.
7. Paint the base and any cardboard fencing with flat white paint as a primer and let dry. Then paint it with acrylic colors as you desire. Set the base aside to dry while you work on the house.
The House
8. Trace the outline of the pattern pieces onto the thin cardboard. Do not use corrugated cardboard, but make sure the cardboard you use is strong enough to support the structure that you are building. Use a ruler to keep the pattern accurate.
9. Score the fold lines with a craft knife, being careful not to cut all the way through the cardboard.
10. Cut out all the pieces using a pair of scissors or the craft knife. If you use the craft knife, use a ruler for a guide. Cut the window frames and door from cardboard thinner than that used for the house and roof.
11. Assemble the house and glue the pieces together with white glue. Add the roof, chimney pieces, door, window frames and trim. It is best to do this in steps over time. Let one piece dry a little before gluing the next piece so you don't have to clamp or hold them all at once. When you are done, let everything dry completely.
12. Paint the house and trim with primer paint and let dry. Then use the acrylic paint to paint the house as you wish. Let dry.
13. Cut out a piece of cellophane for the window. Glue it from the inside of the house to cover the window opening.
14. Glue the house to the base and you are done. If you like, you can add items such as small toy trees from a hobby shop. In addition, you can dilute some of the glue and brush it all over the house and base then sprinkle on a heavy coat of clear glitter. Avoid putting the glitter on the window.
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