Christmas Notebook

Sometimes it can be hard to decide how to finish the front walk of your Putz house or church. One of my favorite methods is to make stepping stones from the front door to the gate, using cardboard.

Supplies needed:

• A small piece of cardboard, poster board, or cardstock
• Scissors
• Needle-nose tweezers
• Acrylic paint
• White glue
• Sand / Optional. Used to create texture.
• Paint brush
• Hot glue gun
• Aleene’s True Snow or other artificial snow
• Palette knife for spreading snow
• Glitter
• Glitter tray

The first step is to cut a piece of cardboard to the size and shape you want the front walk to cover.

Paint it the color you want it to be. I use a mixture of acrylic paint and white glue in a 1:1 mixture. A few drops of paint conditioner, like Floetrol, is helpful, but not necessary. It helps the paint glide on easily. I add a little sand to the mix to give the finish some vintage-style texture. When the paint dries, I paint on a second coat. A pair of needle-nose tweezers are useful when manipulating pieces with wet paint.

While the paint is still wet, pour clear glitter over it.

Allow the paint to dry completely.

At this point, the walk can be used as is. For example…

If you want to create stepping stones, continue with the following steps.

I usually make three stones, but there can be as many as you are able to make. Cut an elongated rounded shape for the first stone.

Cut the rest of the stones. Set them into place to be sure you like the way they look.

Use hot glue to glue them down.

Add Aleene’s True Snow, or artificial snow of your choice, around each stone. Spread with a palette knife or other blade and sprinkle glitter on the snow while the snow is still wet. Use a glitter tray or a piece of paper to catch the extra glitter and return it to the bottle.

The finished Putz house.

Stepping stones are easy to make and add a nice detail to a Putz house. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial.

If you are interested in crafting 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!

You can see my Putz houses and other Christmas ornaments in my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

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