warm welcome on Christmas Eve

January 31, 2026 – 7:33 pm

The periwinkle house is placed on a base made from an upcycled Christmas card. The colors for the putz are inspired by the colors of the greeting card. Each putz has a hole on the back to allow the use of small LED light strings to illuminate the putz.

The picket fence for this house is made from slivered, coffee stir sticks. I use a craft knife to cut each stir stick into two long pieces and use wire cutters to cut the point. Then I cut the length of the idividual pickets, using the wire cutters. The fence posts are made from 1/4″ by 1/4″ balsa wood rods. I cut them with the wire cutters.

There are two steps leading to the front door. I made the steps from a 1/8″ balsa wood sheet. For the sidewalk, I painted three stepping stones directly on the base. The bottle brush tree is decorated with faux snow, vintage mercury beads and clear glitter.

The process begins with cutting the pattern pieces and getting them ready to assemble. I draw all the patterns I use. This one was drawn in July of 2025. The pieces are painted, then assembled and glued to the base. The landscaping is the last step. I add a sidewalk and steps if needed, a fence or hedge is usually added, then the individual bits and pieces. Those could be trees, snowmen, animals, etc., for winter houses.

Spring, summer and autumn houses are embellished with seasonal appropriate trees, flowers, and/or vines. The spring house fence is made from poster board, cut with decorative scissors. The Irish cottage has a “stone” fence made from foam core.

Holidays other than Christmas may include decorations for a specific holiday, such as “fireworks” for a Fourth of July house. I made the picket fences for both of these houses.

If you have any questions about my posted putz houses, or about creating your own putz houses, please ask. I am happy to share what I have learned about the art of putzing.

To see more of my putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

Want to try making your own putz houses? Check out my putz tutorials for more information. My blog can be searched, as well. Some of the turorials haven’t been listed on the tutorial page. Working on that!  

Tutorials / Putz and Glitter Houses

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. KMM works with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda  🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

going home to a Christmas mid-century

January 25, 2026 – 8:58 pm

This is the third mid-century pattern I’ve drawn.

The card used to make the base is from the Retro Christmas Card Company. I bought the wide ones last year. They measure 4″ by 9 1/4″. I checked this year and they have only one style in this size listed. They do have the same pictures of the cards I have, but they are in the 5.25″ by 7.8″ size.

I cut everything by hand. I don’t use die cuts when making putz houses.

When choosing colors for the putz, I first chose a blue color, but later chose an aqua instead.

The base is 8 3/4″ wide and 3 1/2″ deep. The putz is 4 1/4″ high as measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the roof.

Because the putz is so wide, I put two light holes on the back. I used only one small, LED light string, though, and as you can see in the first picture, the putz is well lit.

I have had a few custom orders where the customer asked for a plain base, but for the rest I use Christmas cards to make the bases of my putz houses.

The garland outlining the roofline is made from 1/4″ wide, evergreen chenille stems. I glued blue, vintage, mercury beads and small red beads to the garland as ornaments.

A puff of smoke is included. Just in case you’re weathering a winter storm and the power goes out.

The styalized trees are made from foam core board. I embellished them with red glitter glue as ornaments.

Below are the two mid-century putz I made in 2023. The one on the right has a breeze brick wall. The wall was 3D printed by a friend’s son.

If you have any questions about my posted putz houses, or about creating your own putz houses, please ask. I am happy to share what I have learned about the art of putzing.

To see more of my putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

Want to try making your own putz houses? Check out my putz tutorials for more information. My blog can be searched, as well. Some of the turorials haven’t been listed on the tutorial page. Working on that!  

Tutorials / Putz and Glitter Houses

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. KMM works with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda  🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

framed by snow-lined winter trees

January 19, 2026 – 3:33 pm

This winter putz house features two bare winter trees, outlined with snow. I make the trees from model tree armatures. The base is made from an upcycled greeting card. It measures 6 1/2″ wide by 4 1/2″ deep. The putz is 5 1/8″ tall as measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the chimneys. The back of the putz has a hole that allows the use of a small LED light string to illuminate the house.

This house went together quickly. I haven’t used bare trees for a while, so I decided to put two in this yard.

The top view shows the entire yard. Craft stuffing serves as puffs of smoke.

This house has a handcrafted picket fence. I made the fence from slivered popsicle sticks.

If you have any questions about my posted putz houses, or about creating your own putz houses, please ask. I am happy to share what I have learned about the art of putzing.

To see more of my putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

Want to try making your own putz houses? Check out my putz tutorials for more information. My blog can be searched, as well.

Tutorials / Putz and Glitter Houses

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. KMM works with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda  🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

it may be winter, but i see spring

January 18, 2026 – 4:55 pm

Last Tuesday afternoon, when the temps reached 64°, we toured the yard. We found some signs of spring. The daffodils are coming up. For reference, I’m writing this Sunday afternoon and the temp is 25°. I’m staying in today, but it’s good to know spring is ready and waiting for the right time to show up.

We also saw what we think are surprise lilies checking out the conditions.

The Lenten Rose can stay green all winter, though is often battered to the ground by the time spring arrives. It is an early bloomer, showing up in March to April.

On the left, is the Lenten Rose in March of 2011. They don’t mind the snow. The right hand picture is the same plant in April of 2018. When we to our current home four years ago, we moved many plants, including starts from the Lenten Rose.

We believe we have a responsibility to support the natural ecosystem. It’s a process we are building on each year. Not everyone has the room or desire to have a brush pile, but we have two that provide shelter, nesting and protection for birds and little critters. This fall, we enclosed the piles with fencing to keep them neatly contained. In this picture, the bare ground in front of the brush pile had been home to branches picked up from the yard. Now those sticks and branches are confined to one spot. The logs to the left will be used to outline paths in the back yard.

The woodchipped walks, outlined with logs, fit well with our efforts to proved a natural setting for the animals, birds and insects we want to support.

Please give some thought to how you can support the ecosystem in your own yard. Plant native plants, shrubs and trees that support our local wildlife.. Provide water for wild life. Compost paper and cardboard. Even the smallest effort can provide big benefits for wild life.

Come on spring. We are waiting for you.

PS, to see my putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday greeting cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. KMM works with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda  🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

the cows enjoy a christmas treat

January 15, 2026 – 1:02 pm

Two cows and three evergreen trees are featured on this putz. A post and board fence surrounds the barnyard. Click the link below to see how I make the fence.

Tutorial for making a post and board fence.

The base is made from an upcycled Christmas card. The back has a hole that allows the use of a string of LED lights to light the barn.

Tutorial / Making a Putz house base from a greeting card

Corrugated cardboard makes a great ridged metal roof for the barn. This small size corrugation is from a box for a small appliance. I pealed the paper cover off one side to reveal the corrugated surface.

Behind the glittered cows are three stacked straw bales. The straw bales were purchased at a hobby shop. I think I purchased the cows from Etsy. They are one inch long.

I enjoy making barns. I spent my childhood visiting both sets of grandparents on their farms. They lived within twenty miles of our home and we saw one or both sets most weekends.

If you see a building I’ve made and you would like something like it or similar, I can make one just for you.

If you have any questions about my posted putz houses, or about creating your own putz houses, please ask. I am happy to share what I have learned about the art of putzing.

To see more of my putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

Want to try making your own putz houses? Check out my putz tutorials for more information. My blog can be searched, as well. Some of the turorials haven’t been listed on the tutorial page. Working on that!  

Tutorials / Putz and Glitter Houses

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. KMM works with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda  🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

holiday hearth bakery

January 7, 2026 – 7:25 pm

The first putz bakery that I made was the green and pink one on the left. It found a home in Texas. The bakery on the right is the second bakery I’ve made. It is dark red with a green roof.

The putz is 6 1/2″ wide and 4 3/4″ deep. It is 4 3/4″ tall as measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the roof. The bakery sign is decorated with a garland, decorated with tiny baubles.

The base is made from an upcycled Christmas card. I use the colors of the card to inspire the colors of the putz. When I saw this card, I knew it had to be the base for a bakery.

Each year, after Christmas, family and friends send me the Christmas cards they received. I upcycle them into my putz and ornament creations. My thanks to everyone who gifts me with their cards.

The bakery features two bottle brush trees. They’re decorated with beads. Even the star at the top is a bead. After the beads are on the tree, it is brushed with faux snow and clear glitter.

Two snowmen stand in the yard, ready to greet bakery customers.

If you have any questions about my posted putz houses, or about creating your own putz houses, please ask. I am happy to share what I have learned about the art of putzing.

To see more of my putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

Want to try making your own putz houses? Check out my putz tutorials for more information. My blog can be searched, as well. Some of the turorials haven’t been listed on the tutorial page. Working on that!  

Tutorials / Putz and Glitter Houses

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. KMM works with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda 🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

double the trouble, double the fun

August 30, 2025 – 10:04 am

Our kitty Winston passed away in May, but his memory remains sweet. He and his brother Clark have given us years of double fun and double love. Their mother, Riley, was a stray that needed a home. She gifted us with four kittens shortly after joining our family. Clark and Winston stayed with us. Loki and Bennie found new families to love.

Winston had orange fur with white. His fur never matted much. Clark has dark fur with white. His very thick undercoat can mat easily.

We have been surprised over and over by how many times Clark and Winston would strike the same pose, side by side. Here are some pictures to show you what I mean.

Clark: Winston, why can’t we see out the window?

Winston: Not sure, Clark. But it’s a bathroom. Let’s take a bath.

Looking out windows together was a favorite pastime. Clark: This stairwell doesn’t have a very good view.

That picture was taken in the basement of our current home. My craft room was down there until an addition was constructed with a craft room that comes with five windows and a wonderful view!

They were always curious about whatever was going on. In the second picture, Clark was just home from the vet, where he had a close shave. Literally. He has such a heavy undercoat that he mats quickly. This particular time, he had to have some professional clipping done. Thankfully, Clark loves to be brushed and he hasn’t had any more close shaves.

The third cat below is Clark and Winston’s mother, Riley. She was six months old when we acquired her and she weighed four pounds. She is still small. We marvel that she had kittens that grew to be so large.

Like twin statues. They would even get the same gaze at times. Focused, questioning, interested.

They were buddies.

They liked to hang out together, whether watching guinea pig TV, people watching or bird watching.

Winston was the sweetest cat I’ve known. He loved being with people, even total strangers. He liked to hang out with us. Next to nothing startled or frightened him. Clark on the other hand, spends the entire day sleeping on the bed, won’t come out from under the bed if we have company, though he has made a very few exceptions for a few very exceptional people, and is startled and frightened by anything unexpected, whether a movement or a sound.

From babies, to kids, to grownups. And always a lot of love. We are thankful for the time we had with Winston. He was born in our previous house, moved to the current one with us and was a fixture in our lives. We will always miss Winston, our golden boy.

~~Rhonda

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commissioned winter church replica

December 15, 2024 – 5:54 pm

I made this winter church for my sister. It is a replica of the church she and her husband have attended for years. This year, 2024, the church had to be torn down, due to structural issues. My sister has a collection of my putz churches. This will be a nice addition to her collection.

The church is made of poster board, chipboard, an upcycled Christmas card for the base, and glitter, glue and paint. The base is 5 1/4″ wide by 8 1/4″ deep. The church is 10″ tall as measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the steeple.

The base is made from an upcycled Christmas card. All my putz are made with a greeting card base. Check out my tutorial for these bases here: Making bases from greeting cards

A hole in the back allows the use of a short LED light string for lighting the church.

It looks so lovely when the lights come on. Looks like it is ready for the Christmas Eve service!

The front of the church is flanked by two small bottle brush trees. The belfry containes a gold bell that swings freely.

I used photographs as my inspiration for the model. The finished size of the church didn’t leave room for much landscaping. I kept it simple so the church would get all the attention.

I think this putz is the second hardest one I’ve made. Most of my putz buildings are from patterns I draw that aren’t very deep. The putz might be three or four inches wide and just an inch and a half deep. A replica demands a more accurate rendition of the building. That increased size makes a structure that needs some inner framework for support. I used foam core to cut three arches that support the interior of the building. I wish I had taken a picture of that.

Most roofs for my putz creations are made of the same poster board that the walls are made of. I found that in a larger building such as this church, a heavier stock was needed. I used chipboard for the roof. That eliminated warping.

The church was made of brick. I used my regular paint mixture, textured with sand, to paint the church. I didn’t try to make a brick facade or a brick “look” for the outer walls. The walls have small buttresses. I made those from 1/4″ balsa wood, cutting them to the right shape and size. I needed eight of those. The balsa made it an easy project. I glued those to the outer walls before I painted the church.

To give steeples needed support I always fill them with hot glue. It fills the cavity and makes them quite strong. They will not crush after years of use. This steeple was larger than most I make, but it was worth the use of the glue to know the structure is very strong and will last a long time.

This tutorial shows how I set bells in church belfrys. setting bells in putz church bell towers

If you have any questions about my posted putz houses, or about creating your own putz houses, please ask. I am happy to share what I have learned about the art of putzing.

To see more of my putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

Want to try making your own putz houses? Check out my putz tutorials for more information. My blog can be searched, as well. Some of the turorials haven’t been listed on the tutorial page. Working on that!  

Tutorials / Putz and Glitter Houses

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. KMM works with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda 🙂

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periwinkle house with a tiny deer and a snowman

November 8, 2024 – 6:02 pm

So tiny! So cute! And I do love snowing a winter house. This Tiny Mini size putz features evergreen trees, bottle brush trees, a tiny deer and a snowman.

The putz is made with pattern 091718, which is the same pattern as the last two houses I made. The Tiny Mini, periwinkle putz is 3″ tall. The orange Mini size is 3 3/4″ tall. The Original size, yellow one is 5″ tall.

I used a vertical card for the periwinkle house, leaving room behind the house for a row of trees. I set the fence back from the front of the base to make a walkway in front of the fence.

The Tiny Mini house is 2 3/4″ wide by 1″ deep. It is 2 3/4″ high. The base measures 4 3/8″ wide by 5 3/4″ deep. The putz is 3″ tall, as measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the tallest tree.

The Christmas card, used to make the base, features three children and their happy snowman. My tutorial for making bases from greeting cards can be found here: Putz bases from Christmas cards

On the back of the house, the traditional hole allows the use of an LED light for lighting the house.

The trees behind the house are made from upcycled Christmas tree stems. There are two bottle brush trees in the front yard. Green glitter and snow embellish the taller tree. Silver micro beads and snow decorate the smaller tree.

In front of the house, there is a tiny deer meeting the snowman.

The house comes with a puff of smoke for those cold winter nights. Come on in and we’ll have Christmas cookies and hot chocolate!

If you have any questions about my posted putz houses, or about creating your own putz houses, please ask. I am happy to share what I have learned about the art of putzing.

To see more of my putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

Want to try making your own putz houses? Check out my putz tutorials for more information. My blog can be searched, as well. Some of the turorials haven’t been listed on the tutorial page. Working on that!  

Tutorials / Putz and Glitter Houses

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. KMM works with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda 🙂

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this mini size house features an autumn tree

November 6, 2024 – 6:15 pm

I can’t resist another autumn house. It’s that time of year!

The pattern for this Mini size autumn house is pattern #091718. My pattern numbers are the dates I drew the patterns. I drew this pattern September 17, 2018. It’s a traditional house with a large front yard, full of flowers and fallen leaves. Perfect decor for the autumn season. It, with other seasonal houses, is listed in my Etsy shop: ChristmasNotebook

The house features one handcrafted autumn tree and one bottle brush tree. It’s easy to paint bottle brush trees with acrylic craft paint to match the color scheme of a putz house. This tree was the usual blue-green. I painted it with a very dark green. When the first coat was dry, I brushed it with moss green paint. While the second coat of paint was still wet, I sprinkled it with very fine, clear glitter.

I make the bases for my putz houses from upcycled greeting cards. This card has a beautiful picture with “It’s Thanksgiving” written across the top. I use the colors of the card as inspiration for the colors of the putz house. When possible, I use elements in the card design as part of the embellishment of the putz. In this case, I added sunflowers and pumpkins to the front yard.

The traditional hole in the back allows the use of an LED light string to bring the house to life.

A puff of smoke is included. November nights are chilly!

The sidewalk curves from the front gate to the front door. Autumn shrubs, made from sponge, and fallen autumn leaves give a wonderful fall feeling. The doors on my putz houses are open so guests know they are always welcome to stop by.

The yard features a handcrafted picket fence, made from wooden, coffee stir sticks. I make the fences myself, in many different styles. Check out my tutorial for making picket fences here: Picket Fence Tutorial

If you have any questions about these houses, or about creating your own putz houses, please ask. I am happy to share what I have learned about the art of putzing.

If you would like to see more of my putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

Want to try making your own putz houses? Check out my putz tutorials for more information. My blog can be searched, as well. Some of the turorials haven’t been listed on the tutorial page. Working on that!  

Tutorials / Putz and Glitter Houses

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. They work with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda 🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Putz Houses | Tagged , , | Comments (0)