Paper Halloween Houses

I don't know what it is, but I really like making these little paper Halloween Houses.   I guess I have always been attracted to little miniatures, dollhouses, train displays etc.  There's something magical about imaginary scenarios.  

When I discovered years ago that I could cut out simple patterns for little houses similar to traditional Putz houses with my Wishblade, I was hooked.  

Here's a step by step process for the assembling of a fairly simple one.

After selecting the papers I want to use, I cut out the basic shape.  This design is a Silhouette file that can be found on the Silhouette Design Store website.

 I make sure to glue any embellishments such as window frames, decorations on before glueing the house together while it is still flat.  I glued on the tiny orange boards before I glued the sides of the house together.  It's much easier this way. Trust me, I know from experience.

What's a haunted house without boarded up windows?

Another step I like to do before I glue the sides is to crease all the creases so that I'm not trying to do so on an almost completely glued house.  It also helps to see edges and bends on the black paper a lot better.

Here's the roof piece.  I've creased the score lines to help making the attachment a lot easier.

For this design, I wanted to break up the color by adding another touch of orange.  So, I picked out this cute orange and black star print that looked very Halloweeny to me.  I  glued the printed layer to the solid-colored roof so that it adds another layer of strength to the house.

Here are the two roofs layered together.

Now for the really challenging part.  Adding the roof to the structure, making sure its even and centered before the quick-drying glue dries!  My preference for quick drying glue is Art Glitter Glue.  It dries fast and can be used with a narrow applicator tip,  But, I have to work fast.

Here's the completed house.

Now to paint the Styrofoam base. I try to use biodegradable materials whenever possible, but these little disks are sturdy, lightweight and just the right size of a base for my little 4"-5" houses.  I tell folks that when they are ready to trash their houses, make sure to recycle the parts that are recyclable and trash the base.

Now for the fun part - decorating the house.  I first added some grey colored spackle for the look of a textured path/walkway.

Then I added touches of white ink highlights to the house itself with a sponge.

:

Now for all of the "natural" embellishments: twigs, stones, seeds etc.

I always make sure to add enough glue to the twig-trees so that they stay firmly in place.

Trees in place.

After glueing my seed-pod-pumpkins in place, I added a splash of purple with a little natural moss.

And here's the final project as pictured on my Etsy site:

PaperPasteAndGlitter - Etsy

I hope you enjoyed this little demo of my house making process.  It looks like it's just one-two-three, but it takes more time than you think.  I have to pick he papers, cut the pieces glue and let the pieces dry, paint the base, let it dry. add any spackling I might add and let it dry then glue all the rest of it together.  

It's Only June, But its Halloween Time for Me

 It's only June but it's Halloween time for me.  I discovered the hard way, that folks start preparing for Halloween way before the start of October.  Some real diehard fans have Halloween on the brain year round.  So, because I sell my handcrafted Halloween items on-line, I have to have most items made by August the latest.  With summer being the outdoor time of the year in the mid-west, if I start crafting early, it makes it easier for me to dedicate some of those days to crafting not to mention getting things listed online.  

The first of my new projects for the 2024 Halloween season is another paper Haunted house.  I like to keep my paper houses on the small size because it makes it easier to find the appropriate paper and they are easier to ship.  

I start by selecting the colors and paper choices.  Then I get my base ready by painting it black. 

I then cut out all of the pieces I will need to start the house.  This one will be black and orange.  My favorite Halloween colors are the traditional ones.

Next, I glue on any pieces that need to be adhered to the house while it is still flat and  before I put the house together.

Then I glue the base of the house together before adding the roof.  For the glueing, I like quick drying glues like Art Glitter Glue  to hold things in place.

After the paint is dried, I gather up any additional embellishments before glueing the house to the base with hot glue.

I then work around the glued down house to add the additional decorative items.

After a few hours, I have a finished product.

Though I repeat the process over and over, I try to change up each little house by adding a little something different each time.  

Catching UP

 Funny how when you have more time you get more obligations - not less.  It seems there is just never enough time to do the things you like instead of the mundane stuff like washing and cleaning.  

Well, I managed to sneak a few hours in to do some crafting and preparing for Halloween.  Of course I had to start out with making more of my favorite cloche projects.  I have a few left over from last year and decided I needed to make those first to make room for other things that I want to make and sell.  My biggest problem though is photographing the little spookies.  The shiny dome reflects even  minute amounts of light and since I use my little phone to take the shots, I have a dickens of a time getting a clear shot.

Next, I worked on my second most favorite projects - paper Halloween houses.  I did 3 or 4, each a little a different.  I sold two of one style and was thinking maybe I should make another of that design.  Hard to convince myself to do so though because I always want to make each one unique.  

New this year are  small, paper, vintage inspired, Halloween shadow box ornaments.  I made about 4 to see the response  before I make more.  I think they are super cute.  They can be hung up or free standing.  So far I got a ton of "likes", but no purchases.

All of these were cut on my Silhouette.  

Stay tuned for more...I plan to get a few more hours in of crafting this weekend if I'm not too tired from ends.

It's Time to Pull Out the Glitter and Tinsel

 Now that Halloween has come and gone and Thanksgiving is in a few days, it's time to do my Christmas crafting.  Christmas if you haven't already heard me say before is my most favorite holiday to craft for. In the past I have made cards, tags, gifts and ornaments.  An in the most recent years I have made my little paper houses.

Because I caught COVID at a September wedding, my crafting plans fell way behind.  Given the shorter schedule, I decided to focus on some houses and ornaments.  I might attempt a few cards if I get the extra time.

Here are some of the crafts I've managed to make thus far:

 

Spooky Twins

 I'm still loving making paper Haunted Houses for friends, family and Etsy.  

I recently was gifted a tablet of Graphic 45 paper.  I wanted to incorporate the Halloween prints somehow into my designs.  I didn't want to layer the paper because I try not to waste resources if possible.  Because the paper isn't as sturdy as some cardstocks, I decided using it as roof pieces would work well.  Using two different prints in two different colors, I made twin houses in one display.  I added the obligatory tombstones, some scraggly moss and a velum ghost peeking from amongst the tombstones.  I added orange velum in the windows so that the addition of fairy lights guaranteed an eerie glow.

I used a wood plank painted black as a base so that my houses would have added sturdiness.

Not Just Halloween

 Though Halloween and Christmas are pretty much the reasons for my crafting, the environmentalist in me recognizes that I should maximize the use or purpose of my items.  I love all the little canvases that are for sale now.  But, I'm no artist so I had to find a way to make something with a canvas I had picked up months ago on a whim.

I saw a project where the maker used a paper wreath glued to a pre-printed canvas to make an accent piece.  I challenged myself to take the same concept and apply it to Halloween, taking the project one step further by making it displayable beyond the holiday.

I used this simple wreath shape from Miss Kate Cuttables, but changed the colors to reflect a little bit 'o Halloween and a little bit 'o fall.  I emulated the pre-printed background of the original project
by mod podging a muted Halloween paper to the canvas as a background.  Some black paint along the edges helped to bring out the wreath colors even  more.   In just a few hours, I had a completed project.