Supplies:
*Pattern (1 page)
*Heavy Cardboard (work area, house base, & roof)
*Light Cardboard (house)
*Transfer Paper (or carbon paper or make your own)
*Hot Glue
*Craft Glue
*Scissors
*Xacto Knife
*Paint
*Tissue Paper (or vellum)
*Felt (enough to cover house base & to add to top of roof)
*Glitter
*Electric Tea Light (battery powered)
*Decorations
Difficulty Level: Easy - this is an excellent one to start off with!
Time: Took me about 1 hour including wait time. Took my friend a little over that.
Directions:
01. Print out the pattern (image below - direct link to download at Retro Renovation below that).
02. Lay the carbon paper onto the plain side of the lightweight cardboard (such as a cereal box you've cut open). Lay the printed out pattern on top of the carbon paper. Using a pencil or pen, trace the entire pattern (all lines, window openings, door, & the tabs).
*I have carbon paper already, so it's what I used. You can use another type of transfer paper, or you can make your own, as shown by Retro Renovation. Use charcoal or a pencil to colour in & sheet of plain paper. Use the charcoal/pencil side facing the cardboard & the pattern on top of this.
*Pattern (1 page)
*Heavy Cardboard (work area, house base, & roof)
*Light Cardboard (house)
*Transfer Paper (or carbon paper or make your own)
*Hot Glue
*Craft Glue
*Scissors
*Xacto Knife
*Paint
*Tissue Paper (or vellum)
*Felt (enough to cover house base & to add to top of roof)
*Glitter
*Electric Tea Light (battery powered)
*Decorations
Difficulty Level: Easy - this is an excellent one to start off with!
Time: Took me about 1 hour including wait time. Took my friend a little over that.
Directions:
01. Print out the pattern (image below - direct link to download at Retro Renovation below that).
02. Lay the carbon paper onto the plain side of the lightweight cardboard (such as a cereal box you've cut open). Lay the printed out pattern on top of the carbon paper. Using a pencil or pen, trace the entire pattern (all lines, window openings, door, & the tabs).
*I have carbon paper already, so it's what I used. You can use another type of transfer paper, or you can make your own, as shown by Retro Renovation. Use charcoal or a pencil to colour in & sheet of plain paper. Use the charcoal/pencil side facing the cardboard & the pattern on top of this.
03. Next you'll cut out the pattern that is now on the lightweight cardboard. Be sure to have heavy weight cardboard underneath all of this on your work surface. (You'll use it for Xacto-ing, painting, glittering, & hot gluing. You'll also need a portion to use as your house base.)
The large piece at the top is the roof, you'll trace that part onto heavy weight cardboard. The triangle on the left is the front of the house, you'll cut out all six of the windows. The upright rectangle there is the door, you'll only outline that, but not cut. The triangle on the right is the back of the house, the square is the opening to put the electric tea light inside, so you'll cut that square out.
You can gently score the tabs where they meet the structure, as well as the line on the two main structures (the rectangle being connected to the triangle), as those rectangles are the side of the house.
The large piece at the top is the roof, you'll trace that part onto heavy weight cardboard. The triangle on the left is the front of the house, you'll cut out all six of the windows. The upright rectangle there is the door, you'll only outline that, but not cut. The triangle on the right is the back of the house, the square is the opening to put the electric tea light inside, so you'll cut that square out.
You can gently score the tabs where they meet the structure, as well as the line on the two main structures (the rectangle being connected to the triangle), as those rectangles are the side of the house.
04. From here you can fold all the tabs and lines that put the house into shape & hold both the front & back up (together). This will give you an idea of about how large to cut the base for your house. Do you want to add trees? Do you want no space really? I suggest a 1/2" - 1" space in the back. 1/2" - 3" for the sides. 1" - 4" for the front yard. You should also keep in mind where you will display these & if your desired size base will fit?
05. Now you can paint your house. Above are the original house from Retro Renovation on the left & my creation on the right. That's actually the first A-Frame I did, as well as being the very first Putz House I made. You can see that I didn't really deviate here. Though I did, somewhat, with my second A-Frame (first photo). The first was a gift for a friend. The second is a Elf Home. You can do this however you want. The Sister used "sand" felt in her yard, some see-through blue gift wrap for a swimming pool in the back, & nixed the snow all together.
So, you can make it look more like Retro Renovations or your own. There is no need to paint the interior.
Paint the roof. If you are using "snow" felt on your roof you only have to paint the portion that will show. I'd suggest also painting the bottom of the roof (where it will show, because it will show on this house). Otherwise, if not using snow, just paint the entire top roof (& under the eaves).
Any paint will do, even cheap dollar store kids craft paint. It doesn't have to be fancy. Allow all paint to dry completely (about 15 - 30 minutes).
06. When the paint is dry, you'll add the windows. This is where the tissue paper or vellum comes in. Just flip your unbuilt house front over so you're working with the backside (the interior). You'll cut your pieces so there is enough excess to glue around the windows onto the cardboard. It doesn't have to be exact, or perfect, or a large piece. You can cut one piece for all of those windows. Glue around the edge of window with Elmer's type glue & then stick the tissue paper to this. Allow to dry completely (about 5 - 20 minutes).
07. Now it's time to assemble, which means warming up the hot glue gun. First items I'd recommend are covering the house base in felt. Just have a colour you want your yard to be. Grass? Choose a green. Dirt? Choose brown. Snow? Choose white. They even make white felt with glitter in it, so that's pretty.
Then you'll hot glue a piece of felt to the roof for snow, if you're going with a snowy theme. Next lay out some glitter on your work surface. Put a line of hot glue on one edge of your roof & dip in the glitter. Repeat for the remaining three sides. You can use any colour glitter, I just also like the white crystaline look of the "snowy" glitter that was shown on Retro Renovation, so it's what I use. You could use silver. You could use any colour. It's your house you can make it look however you want.
Now you'll hot glue the four tabs to put the house together, they're the four at the bottom (not on the bottom). Then hot glue bottom tabs & stick house onto base, pressingly firmly (but not firmly enough that you crush it). Next hot glue the roof onto the house, again pressing firmly, but not too firmly.
08. Now it's time to decorate. This is where you affix bottle brush trees or pieces of felt as a walk way, a wreath you made or purchased, presents under the tree, large pieces of glitter or pom poms as snow flakes, twinkle lights, or simply festive decoration. This can be things you wish to purchase, things you make or have yourself. You don't even have to decorate if you don't wish to.
09. Turn the tea light on & place inside. Ah... it's so pretty!
So, you can make it look more like Retro Renovations or your own. There is no need to paint the interior.
Paint the roof. If you are using "snow" felt on your roof you only have to paint the portion that will show. I'd suggest also painting the bottom of the roof (where it will show, because it will show on this house). Otherwise, if not using snow, just paint the entire top roof (& under the eaves).
Any paint will do, even cheap dollar store kids craft paint. It doesn't have to be fancy. Allow all paint to dry completely (about 15 - 30 minutes).
06. When the paint is dry, you'll add the windows. This is where the tissue paper or vellum comes in. Just flip your unbuilt house front over so you're working with the backside (the interior). You'll cut your pieces so there is enough excess to glue around the windows onto the cardboard. It doesn't have to be exact, or perfect, or a large piece. You can cut one piece for all of those windows. Glue around the edge of window with Elmer's type glue & then stick the tissue paper to this. Allow to dry completely (about 5 - 20 minutes).
07. Now it's time to assemble, which means warming up the hot glue gun. First items I'd recommend are covering the house base in felt. Just have a colour you want your yard to be. Grass? Choose a green. Dirt? Choose brown. Snow? Choose white. They even make white felt with glitter in it, so that's pretty.
Then you'll hot glue a piece of felt to the roof for snow, if you're going with a snowy theme. Next lay out some glitter on your work surface. Put a line of hot glue on one edge of your roof & dip in the glitter. Repeat for the remaining three sides. You can use any colour glitter, I just also like the white crystaline look of the "snowy" glitter that was shown on Retro Renovation, so it's what I use. You could use silver. You could use any colour. It's your house you can make it look however you want.
Now you'll hot glue the four tabs to put the house together, they're the four at the bottom (not on the bottom). Then hot glue bottom tabs & stick house onto base, pressingly firmly (but not firmly enough that you crush it). Next hot glue the roof onto the house, again pressing firmly, but not too firmly.
08. Now it's time to decorate. This is where you affix bottle brush trees or pieces of felt as a walk way, a wreath you made or purchased, presents under the tree, large pieces of glitter or pom poms as snow flakes, twinkle lights, or simply festive decoration. This can be things you wish to purchase, things you make or have yourself. You don't even have to decorate if you don't wish to.
09. Turn the tea light on & place inside. Ah... it's so pretty!