claudine hellmuth's blog: retro * whimsical art and illustration

make a holiday village for your mantle

Here's a fun Christmas village that I whipped up and I am going to show you how to make it too! The best part about this little village is that it will cost you next to nothing to make, I am betting you already have many of these items around your house!

Suggested supply list:

Old Music papers and assorted scrapbook papers
Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paint in Dash of Red, Landscape Green
Claudine Hellmuth Studio Multi Medium (matte or gloss)
Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paint brushes
Claudine Hellmuth Studio Sticky Back Canvas
Ranger Inkssentials White Pen
A back pen (I like the Faber Castell PITT in size S)
Pencil
a BATTERY operated tea light candle (no flames please!!!)
Template for the houses - I made one for you! Download here!

STEP ONE: Put the house template (download here) on top of a sheet of old music paper and trace around it with a pencil and then cut it out.

STEP TWO: Draw in where you would like the windows and doors to go.

STEP THREE: Paint in the house. Paint around all the doors and windows leaving them unpainted. Here I am using Dash of Red from the Claudine Hellmuth Studio Line. If you are using these paints, you will notice that they remain transparent and you can still see the music notes even through the color, making a really beautiful effect!

STEP FOUR: Here I added details. I used Claudine Hellmuth Studio Sticky Back Canvas to make the curtains, a black pen and the Ranger Inkssentials White Pen.

STEP FIVE: Fold all your edges and then glue the tab to the other side of the house with Claudine Hellmuth Studio Multi Medium.

STEP SIX: Pinch the sides to shape the house.

STEP SEVEN: Place the roof template on a piece of scrapbook paper, trace around and cut out

STEP EIGHT: Fold down the center and then add details. Here I added trim but cutting a piece of Sticky Back Canvas

STEP NINE: Put the roof on your house and then place a BATTERY OPERATED tea light candle underneath. DO NOT use a regular tea light candle with flame because it will catch your mini house on fire! You can find Battery tea light candles at home stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, or at your local craft store.

YOU'RE DONE! Here's the little house ready to bring Christmas cheer! It was difficult to capture just how glowing the houses are with the battery tea lights underneath. When you make yours, you will see how magical they are!

Now make a whole bunch more and display them on your mantle! A perfect Holiday Village for your home!

WHERE TO BUY:
Check your local crafts/scrapbook or arts supply store for availability. Claudine Hellmuth Studio Products are for sale online at these locations: Somerset Shoppe, ScrapLovers, Joggles Online, Schmooze with Suze, Scrapbook.com, Simon Says Stamp, Studio Calico, Scrap in Style TV . For more videos and information about the Claudine Hellmuth Studio product line, visit my web site!

Labels: Claudine Hellmuth Studio, free projects, free tutorial

:: posted @ 11:08 PM by claudine hellmuth::

COMMENTS:

These are so charming! I host a craft night at my house from time to time, and I think these might be the next craft I do! They are perfect!

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:21 PM

i hope Michaels picks up you line of products!

eBeth

# posted by

Elizabeth Parsons : 11:42 PM

OMG, Claudine! How cute are these! Thank you so much for sharing this! I hope you're still enjoying your new home and city...I've enjoyed reading about you and your life on your blog, and hope that, when you're not too busy, you'll continue to share! Hugs!

# posted by

Anita Van Hal : 11:43 PM

these are fantastical magical!!

# posted by

Candace Trew Camling : 12:01 AM

totally adorable!

# posted by

Anonymous : 12:13 AM

Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!!

# posted by

Marilou : 12:24 AM

This little village is just adorable!

# posted by

Shemaine Smith : 1:17 AM

OH my I swear that is fabulous. I love it.

# posted by

Unknown : 2:05 AM

What a sweet project!

# posted by

Making it Lovely : 7:03 AM

Claudine,

These are so cute. Thanks for sharing.

# posted by

Vicki Holdwick : 7:44 AM

Thanks for sharing this great project. Can't wait to make my own.
How are you and your husband holding up with all this frigid weather we are having. We froze at the Ravens/Redskins game Sunday night.

# posted by

Robin : 8:04 AM

I love that I can make this with stuff I have already - a real boon right now! I think I might start a new family tradition and we'll make a new house every year.

Thank you, and happy holidays.

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:22 AM

Super cute project, Claudine! Now if only I had about 37 more days until Christmas (instead of two weeks, YIKES!)... :) Thanks so much for sharing and giving us a template! :)

# posted by

Cameron : 8:30 AM

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!!!

# posted by

ScrapAddict : 8:32 AM

This is darling. Thank you!

# posted by

WW : 9:08 AM

These are so doggone cute ...just like you!!

# posted by

Sharon Margiotta : 9:14 AM

These are adorable-I can't wait to try them! Thanks for sharing the templates!

# posted by

Dani : 9:32 AM

thanks for sharing this with us. i love it!! gonna make them!

# posted by

Karina : 10:37 AM

OMG! This is gorgeous!!!
I love this idea :)
Thanks for sharing!

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:50 AM

Totally adorable!!! Thanks for the inspiration and super great tutorial!!

# posted by

Babsarella : 10:55 AM

Fantastic-you can also buy the little battery powered tea lights at most dollar stores, dollar tree, etc.
I've had just as good success as far as longevity as with the more expensive ones.

# posted by

BethW : 12:03 PM

thanks for the dollar store tip on the lights! we don't have one anywhere near us in DC so I always forget about that option!

# posted by

claudine hellmuth : 12:45 PM

Thank you for the pattern and the cute little houses, my grandchildren will love making them. I purchased your paints and sticky back canvas and love them. The paint is so much thicker then I thought it would be and spreads so nice, love the colors and coverage. Peggy McDevitt

# posted by

Anonymous : 3:34 PM

This is such a cute idea!!!

# posted by

Apple : 3:51 PM

I love, love, LOVE this! I'll be linking.

# posted by

Rachel@oneprettything.com : 5:38 PM

Simply adorable! Found via oneprettything, and I will be linking next week on dollarstorecrafts.com as I have seen those tea lights at the dollar store!

Great project, thanks!

Heather

# posted by

Heather - Dollarstorecrafts.com : 12:57 AM

Adorable, I LOVE this!! I hope you don't mind, I linked your project as a favorite to check out on my blog.

# posted by

hungry little bird : 1:07 AM

oh my gosh, I love it! I can't wait to try this!

# posted by

Courtney : 7:20 AM

you can also get the full line at www.bluemoonscrapbooking.com

# posted by

Cassi : 10:19 AM

i love the village, especially the christmas tree!!

# posted by

Cassi : 10:20 AM

Hi Claudine,

I am TRULY liking this project so far. I started last night after work and I could have gone on without sleep if I didn't have to work today (HA!)

Anyway, I still don't have your Studio Line (currently saving up so I can buy all at the same time), but no matter, I used my acrylic paints and luckily found some misc. papers with music bars on them. So photocopied them and went at it.

What I like about this project is it's not finicky where I have to fuss constantly to make it turn out perfectly. They're fun and whimsical and that's what I love about these cute houses. Thanks for the brilliant idea and step-by-step. I'll be at it again tonight-Yay!--I'm like a kid again!

# posted by

lizacreates : 11:08 AM

These are just the cutest darn things I've laid my eyes on this year!!!!! Can't wait to make them with my boys this weekend. Thanks for sharing!!!!

# posted by

Unknown : 9:14 PM

thanks everyone! so thrilled that you guys like it. Also thanks for the links back to the project! so appreciated!

# posted by

claudine hellmuth : 9:53 PM

Oh, now THAT is supercute! I really wish I had more space to decorate!! I'll have to puzzle out some way to clear other decorations away!

# posted by

Latharia : 11:46 AM

These are super cute. Even with things being crazy busy, as only the holidays can be, I think I could manage to do these. Thanks for sharing.

# posted by

Natalie : 12:53 PM

What a great idea! I'm actually going to translate the idea for my wedding in February. I want to do a centerpiece with a little scene of the church and my reception hall.

I'm getting married in the desert of West Texas in a Ghost Town called Terlingua (just outside of Big Bend National Park). The church is right out of the movie "Kill Bill" (okay, so you have to have seen the movie to not think that's macabre!)...very rustic and simple. No electricity so gettin' hitched by candlelight, with a procession lit by luminarias to the reception hall down the hill.

...Now my wheels are spinning about all the cool handmade things I can do to make the centerpiece cool! Thanks for the inspiration, Claudine :)

~Christina

# posted by

Christina : 9:39 PM

oh, I love how you can still see the paper even after you painted it. Now I understand what you said about the paints being transparent. that's all I needed to buy them. BTW, do they come in black too??thanks. PS I will make those with my children. they will love that craft project. :)

# posted by

Tereza Crump : 2:20 AM

So super cute!!!
B-

# posted by

Unknown : 8:00 PM

This is a very cool idea--my favorite part is how it doesn't have to be Christmas-y, so I can make a village with my kids in January, when I'm done running around for Christmas stuff.

Thanks extra much for the downloadable pattern!

# posted by

julie : 11:53 AM

This is so great and wonderful. I saw this post a couple of hours ago, immediately printed out the template, and made three houses in a row. I also made my own template for a christmas tree.

thank you for providing a cute and fun tutorial and for giving me the opportunity to feel like i actually accomplished something today.

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:47 PM

How creative, easy and safe! Thanks for sharing!

# posted by

Taylor : 4:13 PM

Okay, so now I know why I've been saving old sheet music! Thanks so much for the great idea!

# posted by

emily : 4:58 PM

So cute! Thanks so much for posting this idea! I just love it! (Reminds me of who-ville!)

# posted by

Chef Messy : 1:43 PM

Just wanted to let you know that I finished my first house today. Used 3 different home-made papers and instead of windows and traditional door I made a heart-shaped wreath that also is the door. I ordered some 4 inch pink bottle brush trees and when they get here I'll take a picture and let you know. Right now it's sitting on a little tray with a snowman and green elephant charm. Joy joys. Joyce

# posted by

Steve & Joyce Rodli : 6:41 PM

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!!

# posted by

M Plamondon : 11:54 AM

Hi! Featured this today: http://www.simplemakes.com/2009/01/family-printables.html. Thanks!

# posted by

Lori Ann : 11:12 PM

Interesting topic! Hope you will elaborate more on it in future posts.
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# posted by

hardyrady : 6:41 PM

Very sweet paper village. Thanks for sharing the idea.

Heidi
Exede

# posted by

Unknown : 8:51 AM

Hi Claudine <3 I blog at <a href="savedbylovecreations.com>Saved By Love Creations</a>. My readers would love this fabulous village. It is so very cute. Do you mind if I feature your project? That would entail using one photo of the finished village, a brief paragraph going on and on about how in love with it I am and how much your work inspires me. There will be a link back to your post for the project details and I'm pretty sure lots of people coming over cause it is irresistible!

# posted by

Johnnie : 4:42 AM