The originals of these cottages have been given the name Putz from the German verb putzen. Moravian German immigrants are credited with bringing the custom of villages under the Christmas tree to their new home in the United States. Like their vintage counterparts, these buildings can be finished in a number of different styles. Parts have been included for fencing and a stylized tree in the correct scale. An extra sheet of parts is also included in case you want to make cut-out windows or doors to give the houses the full traditional look. This is the basic set of buildings in the series and beginners should start with this set until they get used to working with the parts. If you want to make clear windows or add glitter coatings to the houses, it is easiest to do this before you fold and assemble them. You can glue bits of cellophane behind cut-out windows to copy the traditional Putz houses, which used mainly red and yellow cellophane, or you can use a thick glue, or specialized glue product like Glue N Glaze to make clear window films over openings.
Glue up the Basic House
With the front door in place, bend the house into shape and glue the tab to the back of the house to hold the walls in place. Make sure the bottom tabs for gluing the house to the landscape are turned under and square so that the house sits flat. Check your house is square and not lopsided or you will have trouble with the roof sections.
Glue the Roof in Place
Use your glue spreader to put a thin line of glue along the central peaked edges. Place the central small roof in position, overlapping the front and back of the house by equal amounts. Press the roof gently in place and hold it until it stays in place. Spread a thin line of glue on the side peaks and the top of the side of the house. Spread a very thin line of glue along the short end of the side peak roof. Press the side roof in place over the side peak, making sure the overlap at the front and back matches with the overlap in the center peak. Hold it in place until it stays in place. Finish the other side roof in the same way.
Porch Roof
Add a tiny amount of glue to the peak and sides of the front door surround. Add a small amount of glue to one long side of the porch roof. Fit the porch roof over the door with the glued side of the roof against the main house. Press it firmly in place.
Window Roof
To make the roofs above the windows, fold all the tiny roof sections in half. Run a thin bead of glue along one of the long sides of each folded roof. Using tweezers, press the roof against the house, so that the peak is centered on the window and the sides touch the house just outside the tops of the windows (see photo above). Finish all windows the same way.
Glue the Chimney
Glue the chimney to the back of the center roof peak.
Add the Porch
Many of the Putz houses have porches where a small Santa, a dog, or a family figure is displayed. To make the porch for the simple cottage, cut out the porch and cut the tabs free of the sides. Fold and glue the porch the same way you would a box top. Run a line of glue along one long side of the assembled porch and glue it to the front of the cottage, making sure it remains square to the cottage base. Set aside to dry.
Make the Conservatory
Putz houses often had odd towers added to one side. This conservatory can be added to any of the houses. You can also cut out the sides to make a grand covered entrance or porte cochere for your house. To assemble the conservatory, cut out the main piece and fold it along the center line of the top crenelated. If you want, you can use a craft knife to cut out the white sections on the crenellations to make them more realistic. Glue the folded crenellation sections together, as shown above, then fold the building sides along the fold lines marked on the pattern page. Fold the top tab and roof inside and glue them to each other, then glue the final side to the side tab to hold the building in shape. You may need to trim the crenelated balcony edge on one side to fit the conservatory under the roof of the smaller cottages.
Coconut Finishes in Miniature
To create a coconut finish, cut thin strips of colored or clear cellophane into short lengths. You can also use clear or iridescent Sulky embroidery threads cut into short lengths. Spread a thin layer of glue on the walls of the cottage, avoiding the windows. Spread your prepared coconut finish over the glued areas, pressing gently in place. Use tweezers to gently push back any pieces that overlap the windows. Set aside to dry.
Micro Glittered Finishes
Micro glitter in several colors can be purchased through stamp shops or scrapbooking suppliers. Carrera marble glitter from EK success creates the snowy effect on the walls of the miniature cottage above. Apply a thin layer of glue on the walls, then sprinkle the glitter in place.
Tip
If you have trouble applying the glitter without getting it on the window and door sections, cut out spare windows and doors from the additional parts sheet (Acrobat .pdf file) and glue them in place over the glitter once it is applied.
Assemble the Basic Cottage
In this case, the roof is glued to the side peaks, leaving the front peak free. The front edge of the roof may need to be trimmed to get it to fit on either side of the front peak of the cottage. Note that the roof is longer on the left side of the cottage than it is on the right.
Assemble the Porch Roof Support
Assemble the porch roof support by folding the sides back so that they make a triangle, then gluing the edges of the tabs behind them so that they hold the triangle together. The tabs will be used to glue the roof support to the front wall of the house.
Glue the Support Columns
This is the hardest part to fold, depending on how thick your paper is. Fold this over the sharp edge of a ruler to get a tight crease. The yellow section of the column or post is the tab which you glue to the side to make the square post or column. If you find the posts are too much trouble to make from paper, cut lengths of dowel or round toothpicks to the correct length and paint them with acrylic paint.
Making the Porch Base
Cut the black tabs on the front porch section so that each side of the porch has one tab attached. Fold the sides down and use the tabs to glue a basic box lid shape. Trim the porch base if necessary to make it sit flat.
Position the Roof
Hold one of the columns or posts on top of the porch and use it to determine where the bottom of the porch roof support should be. Apply glue to the tabs on the back of the porch roof and glue it to the front of the house, lining up the front roof edge with the outside edge of the porch roof support as shown in the photo above. Check the roof support is the correct height above the porch by using the columns/posts as spacers. Allow the roof support to dry.
Glue the Columns/Posts in Place
When the porch and the porch roof support have dried in place, add a thin line of glue to the top and bottom of the porch posts or columns and glue them in place on the porch, making sure they are centered on the door. Set aside to dry.
Glue the Porch Roof
Take the small roof section of the porch roof and run a bead of glue along one long edge. Spread a thin layer of glue on the top sides of the porch roof support and press the porch roof in place on the supports and against the front wall of the house. Set aside to dry.
Add the Front Roof Peak and the Chimney
Test fit the front roof peak and trim the ends if necessary to match the other roof overhangs. The slanted section fits against the main roof of the house. Run a bead of glue along the long slanted edge of the roof. Spread a thin layer of glue on the roof peak tabs. Press the roof onto the tabs and against the main support and hold it gently in place until it is secure. Apply glue to the chimney tabs and glue it on the main roof so that the chimney sticks up above the roof peak.
Paint the Base
Mark the position for a sidewalk to the front door and paint this with acrylic paints. When the sidewalk is dry, paint the rest of the base (except for the area marked out for the house) with white acrylic paint. While that paint is drying, sprinkle a bit of fine sand into the paint to give it a snow texture. Paint over the same with a second coat. Set aside to dry. Spread some glue on the base tabs of the house and glue it in place. Cut out the fencing trim and lay it out on the base, 1/4 inch in from the edge. Fold it to fit, trim if necessary. Apply a thin bead of glue to the bottom of the fence and glue it in place on the landscape. Add paint, glitter or scenic fake snow to cover bare areas.
Making the Trees
You can use scraps of lycopodium moss (prince’s pine) as shown for 1:144 scale Christmas scenes. On the accessories sheet (and the three gables sheet) provided are small green circles to make trees. Cut them out and use a pin to pierce a hole in the center of all but the smallest circle. Thread them in order of size, largest first, onto a round toothpick. Cut to the center of each circle using sharp scissors and use tweezers to put overlap the cut edges until the circle dips to form a cone. Glue the top cut edge to the bottom edge to hold the cone in place. Cut into the center of the smallest circle and glue the overlapped edges to form a tight cone. Glue the cone onto the pointed end of the toothpick to make the top of the miniature tree. Glue the circles to the trunk if necessary. Dry brush the finished tree with white paint to make a snow effect.
