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.

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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.  

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.

Cutest Halloween Decor Project!

 While going through my stash I found a package of sturdy Halloween straws that I don't remember purchasing.  Luckily, I quickly recalled a cute little decor idea for "Halloween Lollies" that  I had seen somewhere on the internet.  Determined not to buy anymore supplies until I use most of what I already have, the project was perfect.  And this project is a good one for beginners because all that you have to do is cut, fold and glue.

Supplies needed are:

hot glue

glue gun

Printed paper

Paper straws

Craft Mat

I printed my paper from files I purchased from Simple Stories.  The Halloween prints were in black and orange and went well with the stripes on the straws.  I used Epson matte presentation paper that has a hefty weight and makes the print vivid.  I'm not sure that they still make it

Start by grabbing your supplies.

Make a simple rosette.  If you've never made a rosette before, you can find basic instructions here:

Simple Rosette.  I cut my paper 1.5 inches wide so that it would make a 3" rosette.  I thought that size looked well  balanced with the thin straws.

After attaching both ends together, I simple push down on the rosette to form a circle.  I pile a little glue on my craft mat and than scrunch the circle up around the glue, making sure that it is centered and adhered to all of the center.

Lift the rosette carefully off of the mat.

Once I have the rosette nice and secured and the glue has cooled, I flatten one end of the straw.

I glue that end to the back of the rosette.  I than cover the front and back with a paper circle that complements the colors.

I selected black because for Halloween it's a color that you can't go wrong with.

I printed out some vintage graphics I found on line and cut them in a circle. I  glued them in the middle of the medallion to add more interest.

I tied some orange ribbon on that I had in my stash for a little more pizazz.

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And wha-lah, cute little lollies you can arrange into a display,  or add to a gift wrapping for a special

little Halloween treat.

Halloween Putz Houses

 Now that I'm pretty much done with Easter crafting I'm  on to Halloween.  I had planned to get a real headstart on it this year.  My focus will be paper and Putz houses.  I really enjoy making them and folks enjoy seeing them.  I'm still working to perfect the process.  My less than agile hands have a hard time working with the small pieces and lord knows I still haven't mastered being neat with a glue gun.

The little styrofoam rounds from the floral section in DT make the best little bases.  I simply paint the edges and glue on paper to the top.  No having to cut anything and they are very sturdy.  

My first house is a traditional Putz house shape by  Samatha Walker I simply made it Halloweenie by choosing black and orange papers.  I modified the front window to display a vintage gypsie and added vellum to the other windows to defuse any added lights.  

My next house was also a traditional Putz cottage that I enlarged a bit.  This time I omitted the sparkle and went for just the Halloween co.ors of purple and black.  I added grungy moss, a few little pumpkins and a twiggy tree.

My most challenging one was made from a free file I got from A Cottage in the Forest.  It had many more pieces and was a bit more complicated.  I made it larger and used a wooden base for more support.  I plan to make more hoping to get better with the practice.