Christmas Notebook

I am still tweaking the Putz “Christmas Tree Lot” that I’ve been working on the past few days, but it is almost done. In my last post, I explained how I made the base for the Christmas Tree Lot. It had to be larger than those I usually make to have room for the trees, a mail box, wreaths, etc. You can see that post here: putz Christmas tree lot…making the base

Today, I’ll show you the progress I’ve made on this little cutie.

Painting and glittering the base was the first step. This picture shows the texture the paint adds when it has a little sand mixed in.

In the last post, I showed how I made the base for the Christmas Tree Lot, and also how I added a Christmas card picture to the bottom. I didn’t think about being careful as I painted until I had marked up a few places on the green frame.

I have found that I can remove acrylic craft paint by gently wiping it down with a baby wipe. The kind I use are Pampers Sensitive wipes. I just have to be careful not to saturate the paper or it will tear, even with gentle scrubbing.

I took this picture to show how the base absorbs moisture and warps a bit while wet. Not to worry. Most, if not all of that, will flatten when it dries.

I made the fence rails and the fence posts from cinnamon sticks. A nail file makes quick work of leveling the ends of the posts. That smelled good, by the way!

All the lengths were checked and adjusted before gluing the fence to the base.

I found that my small wire cutters worked well to cut the cinnamon sticks, if I just cut into them a little at a time rather than trying to cut the whole thing with one cut. That tended to shatter the stick.

The fence is glued on, snowed and glittered. The shack is also glued to the base and I’ve applied “snow” and glitter all the way around it.

And now the porch posts are glued in place. The posts are made from bamboo skewers. They are about 1/8″ in diameter. I cut them with wire cutters.

I have a package of miniature icicles that my sister found in a thrift shop and I cut a few off for each side of the porch. The white glue (Crafter’s Pick) dries clear and has a great hold.

These are the icicles I am using. Genny found this package for $1.70 in a thrift store. You can google < "village acrylic icicles" > with the quotes to find buying options and a wide range of prices, if you are interested. Amazon sells them through third-party sellers. As you can see, I have a nice supply that should last a while.

I am liking the way it is turning out. It has been more work than some of my other houses, and I am finding my way as I go along. The next one I make will be easier. I’ll know how much room I need and how I can add some other features I wasn’t able to add to this one.

Yesterday, I made tiny wreaths to decorate the Tree Lot.

I also made two mailboxes. Both are too large for the Christmas Tree Lot. I’m going to attempt to make an even smaller one this afternoon. Not sure I can manage it but we’ll see!

I hope to get this posted to my Etsy shop in the next day or two. ChristmasNotebook

~~Rhonda

I wanted to add a Christmas Tree Lot to my collection of Putz patterns so I drew up a pattern for the sales shack. This is as far as I got with the project today.

I will make a base for it tomorrow and, once I have it glued to a base, I can start decorating! Can’t wait! I started by making a rough sketch of what I wanted. I googled < Christmas tree lot > and took some ideas from the pictures that popped up.

Free drawing a pattern on graph paper was next. I drew it in pencil, didn’t use a ruler, and made adjustments as I drew the pattern out and mulled over it.

After it was the way I wanted it, I drew the MASTER on another sheet of graph paper, using a ruler, and added the window frames, the door frame, and directions for the roof. I made a copy and assembled a model from the paper just to be sure it all fit.

A few details changed, even after this pattern was made. And for just that reason, I used an erasable ink pen to draw the MASTER. I always write MASTER on the master pattern sheet in highlighter. I copy the pattern in black and white. That helps me know right away which sheet is the MASTER and which sheet is the copy.

This is the MASTER after I had tweaked it a few times.

A wooden skewer provided perfect posts for the front porch overhanging roof.

Time to make a copy of the MASTER and cut it from poster board. I always cut the windows, doors and any other openings first, including the hole on the back of the house for a little light to fit through. If you look closely at this picture, you will see that I had forgotten to add that little hole, but I realized my mistake later and fixed the pattern.

House, door and window frames are cut and ready to assemble.

Time to cut the roof.

And fold it…

Now it’s time to paint.

And glitter…

Though the roof is curved while wet, it will straighten out when dry.

I mixed acrylic craft paint and white glue half and half to paint the first coat on the house.

The second coat has a bit of clean sand added to the paint and glue mixture. The glitter is added one side of the house at a time, while the paint is still wet. I don’t usually paint the inside, but since the service window is so large, I did paint the inside green and glittered it, too.

Clothes pins serve as clamps for gluing on the window frames and the door.

Ta-da! How cute is that??

I think I will add a little ledge on the window sill. And I need to add the chimney. I’m sure they’ll have a pot belly stove inside the shack, aren’t you?

Here’s a link to my more detailed tutorial for making a Putz house from scratch. Building a Putz House

~~Rhonda

I’ve been emailing back and forth with an online friend who is making her own little glitter houses. She is having a problem with glitter loss after the houses are done.

My friend did some experimenting with different kinds of glues and glitter, but hasn’t found a solution yet. I decided to do a glitter test on my own Putz houses to see if they would lose glitter, too. My houses aren’t sprayed with any kind of fixative, clear coat, hair spray, etc.

The little yellow house before testing.

I held the house and faced it down toward the black paper. I gave it a gentle thump on the paper. It didn’t lose very much at all.

This is what it looked like after two heavier thumps. Not bad.

I tried another house and got similar results.

Before any thumping.

After a gentle thump.

After two heavier thumps.

Not bad. It lost a very small amount of the larger glitter that I use on the “snowed” areas, like the roof, the tops of fence posts, etc. It didn’t seem to lose much of the fine glitter that is used on the house and those portions of the roof without snow.

Here’s a shot of the roof of the yellow house. The pink roof has been glittered with Martha Stewart Fine Glitter. The snow has been glittered with Sulyn Crystal Glitter.

These are the results of rubbing my finger along the roof of the house. Some glitter loss, but not much.

Yellow house…

Blue house…even less loss from rubbing the roof with my finger than on the yellow house.

To paint my Putz houses, I use a mixture of acrylic paint and white glue, equal parts, more or less…I don’t measure, just pour and stir together. Then I add a sprinkle of clean white sand to add some texture. After I paint the house, and while the paint is still wet, I sprinkle on the glitter. Perhaps the glue in the paint helps it adhere well.

I was happy with the way the tests turned out. The houses didn’t lose much glitter, which is good to know. And nothing else fell off, either, which is good! LOL!

These houses are two of the thirty little glitter / Putz houses available in my Etsy shop. Stop by and see what else is in the shop. As always, all proceeds benefit ministry to those who live in one of the largest slums in Africa. Thank you for your support! ChristmasNotebook

~~Rhonda