This sweet, ORIGINAL size, Putz barn started with the card I used for the base.
The card depicts a winter orchard. The picture is covered with very fine, iridescent glitter. A strip of seafoam green runs along the bottom of the picture and the word “Peace” is colored with the same green.
I knew I wanted to use this greeting card. I just had to find the right barn for it. I googled “old barns” and came up with a picture of one I could use as inspiration for the pattern I would draw.
I like to use the colors of the greeting card used for the base to paint the Putz.
Seafoam green seemed an odd choice for the barn, but I took the plunge and I love the way it turned out. I googled “green barns” and there are some stunning ones out there.
Because the picture on the Christmas card features an orchard, I decided to make a winter fruit tree for the barnyard. This is the first time I tried making a leafless tree for a Putz. I’m happy with the results.
To make the tree, I stripped red berry picks of the berries and used the twisted wire to form the tree.
I painted the tree with the same sandy, dark brown paint that I used on the silo and the fence. It gave some texture to the limbs and provided a great contrast to the faux snow that I used to embellish the tree. After painting it, I decided the trunk needed to be wider, so I used hot glue to fill it out and repainted the whole thing. Worked well.
The wreath is handcrafted from an evergreen chenille stem. The fence is made from craft matchsticks for the posts and slivered popsicle sticks for the horizontal boards.
Here is a link to my tutorial about making tiny wreaths.
Making wreath and garlands for Putz houses.
And here’s a link for making post and board fences. The tutorial uses skewers for posts and poster board for boards. That works well. I now usually use wood boards, but that’s just an option. I, also, now use white, tacky glue to make the fence rather than hot glue. Takes longer to dry securely, but there are fewer messy globs.
Make a board fence for your Putz barn.
Under construction…building the fence.
You can see my Putz houses and Christmas ornaments in my Etsy shop.
If you are interested in crafting some Putz houses of your own, check out my Putz tutorials for more information. Putz House Tutorials
I am always happy to answer questions about the process. Please ask, if you are wondering about the details of putzing!
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 slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!
~~Rhonda
One Comment
Love the barn. I think the green worked well. I’m glad you decided to give it a try.