Supplies:
*Pattern (2 pages)
*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 - Medium
Time: It took me about 1 hour to make this. None of my friends chose this option.
Directions:
01. Print out the pattern (images 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, doors, circle for door knob, & 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 (2 pages)
*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 - Medium
Time: It took me about 1 hour to make this. None of my friends chose this option.
Directions:
01. Print out the pattern (images 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, doors, circle for door knob, & 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.)
First Page: All of the larger shapes are the windows. There's also windows on the door, which these will be cut out (not the door). The line just needs to gently be scored, as it will fold to create one side of the house. The other portion is the back side of the house. The large square will be cut out as that's where the electric tea light goes in. The line will gently be scored, as it will fold to create the other side of the house.
Second Page: This is the roof. It's two parts. One lays flat (the roof over all the windows), & the other is also flat, over the door section, but that little rectangle portion will fold up and close the gap in the roof line.
First Page: All of the larger shapes are the windows. There's also windows on the door, which these will be cut out (not the door). The line just needs to gently be scored, as it will fold to create one side of the house. The other portion is the back side of the house. The large square will be cut out as that's where the electric tea light goes in. The line will gently be scored, as it will fold to create the other side of the house.
Second Page: This is the roof. It's two parts. One lays flat (the roof over all the windows), & the other is also flat, over the door section, but that little rectangle portion will fold up and close the gap in the roof line.
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. I stayed true to the original design, but as I was making this for my dad & he's into sci-fi & his favourite colour is red, it's a red & chrome house.
Paint the roof. If you are using "snow" felt on your roof you only have to paint the top part of the roof that will not be covered by snow. If you want the entire roof covered in snow, then you don't have to paint.
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 the bank of windows on the right & one piece for the windows on the door & the larger window on the left. 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. You can use white for snow (or The Sister created one using tan for sand). 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 just hot glue the tabs to put the house together. 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.
09. 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.
10. Turn the tea light on & place inside. Ah... it's so pretty!
Paint the roof. If you are using "snow" felt on your roof you only have to paint the top part of the roof that will not be covered by snow. If you want the entire roof covered in snow, then you don't have to paint.
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 the bank of windows on the right & one piece for the windows on the door & the larger window on the left. 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. You can use white for snow (or The Sister created one using tan for sand). 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 just hot glue the tabs to put the house together. 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.
09. 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.
10. Turn the tea light on & place inside. Ah... it's so pretty!