Sunday, October 19, 2014

Santa Express: Winter Village Houses

Although Halloween is just around the corner, I can't help but dig into my Christmas papers and supplies and start creating projects for Christmas.  Amanda here today with a super cute project that you can make to dress up a holiday mantel, table, or even use as a centerpiece.

I love making miniature paper crafts and houses are my favorite crafts to make.  I die cut and assembled two houses and a church to be the start of my winter village.  (These cut files can be found in the Cricut library as part of the Winter Woodland cartridge.)

The best part of these houses is that they can each be lit with a single battery operated tea light.  The houses look great lit during the day, but look especially stunning at night.  The addition of vellum to the windows softens the glow and makes the houses look warm and inviting.

The short green house is my favorite.  I die cut each roof from sugar coated cardstock to make them look as though they were covered with a fresh layer of snow.

Each building has a contrasting door.  Although I was tempted, I refrained from adding too many extra details to the houses so they wouldn't distract from the glowing lights.

The stripey church looks so inviting!  I also added vellum inside the doorways of the houses so the tea lights would be well disguised.  You can easily turn these little houses into a play set (like this one) by leaving the vellum out of the doors.

Add vellum inside the windows and doors before you fold and assemble the houses.  Cut pieces of vellum so they overlap the windows about 1/4" on each side and adhere with a tape runner.

The houses look bright and cheery when lit during the day.  Create more houses in a variety of colors to create a larger winter village.  Add trees, critters, and a backdrop to add more drama to your scene.
Happy creating!

Amanda

Supplies:
Santa Express collection
Sugar Coated cardstock

40 comments:

  1. The vellum idea for the windows is genius. These houses are way too cute. It's a great way to start my own village!

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  2. I pinned them to my "Christmas and winter paper craft" board on Pinterest.

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  3. I shares this post on Facebook though the Doodlebug Facebook page!

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  4. How wonderful your
    village is! I will have to
    make some of these!
    Carla from Utah

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  5. Such a cute idea! Would be great for my daughter's night light :)

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  6. These are spectacular! I love the vellum windows with the lights! I definitely need to scrap lift this idea for a little display, love it so much!

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  7. Super cute. I've pinned these http://www.pinterest.com/pin/237213105348364562/

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  8. Love these!! And WOW!! Lit up they are fabulous!!!

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  9. These houses create such a pretty winter scene. I like how you used a tealight to illuminate them.

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  10. I pinned.
    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/26106872816430674/

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  11. These village houses are so cute! I love that they light up.

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  12. I pinned.
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/486811040945731760/

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  13. Love these and the way they look lit up Amanda! :)

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  14. Какие милые домики!!

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  15. OMG Amanda your winter village buildings turned out so fabulous. WOW girl you did an amazing outstanding creative job!! Love all the cardstocks you chose absolutely so perfect.
    You really outdid yourself and thanks for the great pics and ideas. YOU so ROCK!!

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  16. Pinned
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/145593000429436174/

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  17. I want to put a set of these on my mantel! They will brighten the whole room. Thank you for the happy inspiration and tutorial.

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  18. Happily pinned! http://www.pinterest.com/pin/286119382552247376/

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  19. OMGOsh Amanda!! These little holiday houses are over the top adorable and charming!! I'm head over heels in love with them and lit up they are even more appealing! The vellum windows are such a bright idea! Brilliant and delightful in every way! Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful bit of early holiday cheer!!! :)

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  20. I pinned Amanda's darling mini holiday villiage here: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/32228953559040957/

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  21. I tweeted about today's post and Amanda's adorable Christmas village here: https://twitter.com/scrappygirl4/status/524215767990931456

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  22. I love these houses, I'll try to make some for my shop-windows *_* I pinned http://www.pinterest.com/memoryoftrees/doodlebug-design-santa-express/

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  23. Look at this complete and total cool project!! Love it so much!! She makes it look so very easy too!! Amanda is amazing!! Love seeing her stuff!!

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  24. I shared this coolness on facebook!!

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  25. Pinned it -
    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/99923685458230328/

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  26. SUPER CUTE village Amanda!!!
    LOVE the detail in each one and LOVE how you have included the vellum windows & sugar coated cardstock for the snow capped roof - what FUN :)

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  27. I pinned the "day time" view of Amanda's cute village :)
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/247275835766201024/

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  28. I pinned the "lights-on night-time" view of Amanda's village :)
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/247275835766201026/
    The vellum windows are SO COOL!!!

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  29. I pinned the little green house with the red door :)
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/247275835766201034/

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  30. I pinned the tall red house with the green door :)
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/247275835766201036/

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  31. I pinned the candy cane striped church :)
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/247275835766201039/

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  32. I shared the Facebook post linking to Amanda's cute winter village with my crafty friends - I reminded them about the launch of Santa Express and the giveaway too :)
    https://www.facebook.com/tracy.moloney.71/posts/946884125339965

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  33. Pinned here ! http://fr.pinterest.com/pin/288300813620401657/

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