How to Make Putz-Style Glitter House Ornaments with your Silhouette!

I had a little Putz house given to me by my Sunday school teacher when I was little. It was bright pink and had a white snowy roof and one little bottle brush evergreen tree. I loved that house, and put it on our Christmas tree with pride each year. It had a little hole on the back side where you could insert a Christmas tree light. Unfortunately, over time, I punched through the front paper windows with the tree light from the back side. I think eventually, it went where all broken ornaments go, and I haven't seen it since.

Even though that ornament is long gone, it's left a lasting impression on me. So much so, I thought I would do a series of Putz-style Glitter Houses for my Christmas tree this year.

This little pink house is the first in the series. You can view the tutorial for the next house in the series here.

Get this download:
From Silhouette in .studio or SVG format
http://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/?page=view-shape&id=52425


This house can be cut with most major cutting machines like the Silhouette Cameo and the Portrait cutting machines. You will need to adjust the size if you are cutting with the Portrait.

This is how you put it together:

1. Ungroup your file. Select your house piece and put in the live cutting area.

2.  Cut the house piece in your desired color.

3. Cut the windows, roof, and chimney in another color.

4. Cut the base in white.

I used glitter cardstock (it's like a light chipboard) by American Crafts. It is very thick. If you use this medium, use a newish blade, set the depth to 9 and select double cut. 

You can also use a thick non-glitter cardstock and add glitter to your house with glue. I recommend putting the glitter on the house before it is assembled.

5. Gather your cut pieces, and glue the window frames around each window, and glue the door onto the front. You can use a hot glue gun, or a paper glue that works with glitter.

6. Put glue on the base tabs, and glue to the side walls of the house. You will be able to hold the tabs to the sides through the rectangle on the bottom of the house.

7. Glue the side wall tab, and close the house sides.

8. Now we will move onto the roof piece. You can add the effect of snow with extra white glitter. Just put glue on the peak and at the ends of the roof, then dip in glitter. Notice how the glue adds a fun texture like layers of snow.

9. Crease the sides of the chimney. 

10. Join the sides of the chimney by glueing the side tab.

11. Fold the icicles down, and glue to the top of the chimney.

12. Fold the bottom tabs out, these will tuck into the hole on the roof. 

***Important!***

I changed the way the chimney joins the roof after doing this project. Instead of the tabs glueing to the top of the lid, they will tuck under a square hole where the chimney will go, and be glued to the back of the roof. With this in mind, I recommend attaching the chimney BEFORE attaching the roof to the house. 

 13. Glue the house to the base. Make sure that there is about 1/2 inch of base in back of the house, and the majority of the base in front of the house. Press down on the tabs from the inside of the house. You can use a glue gun or a good strong paper glue.

 14. Fold the icicle strips and attach them to the roof.

 15. Fold the roof and attach to the house. Please go back to step 12 if you are doing this step without the chimney attached. You will want to do this first.

 16. Hold the roof in place until set. (That's why a glue gun might be better here.)

17. I changed the chimney and how it attaches to the roof. This picture shows the chimney glued directly to the roof. Instead, I modified the file by adding a rectangular hole in the roof. The tabs on the chimney will insert into the roof and attach on the back side of the roof. Do this before attaching the roof to the house.

18. For an extra special touch, add a bottle-brush tree to the front with a glue gun.

You can also add clear or colored cellophane to the windows for a different look.

I hope you enjoy this first house in the series of Putz-Style glitter houses. Feel free to share your variation of this design with us via Facebook or Pinterest.