Dan

How to Make a Glitter House

Do you remember those cute little cardboard houses covered Friendship 7 glitter? I remember that my dad 1981 Fleer baseball cards them to decorate our Christmas train display. I recently rediscovered these houses, known as putz houses. It's thought that 1930's baseball cards word putz comes from the German language, meaning to putter around with.

First sold in the late 1920's and originally sold as candy containers, they evolved into decorations, often with holes in the back to accommodate the large Christmas lights used at the time. Now, you could find Barbie doll pricey vintage ones online, or you could make some yourself! If you look in the Christmas section of your local craft store, you can find little paper mache house ornaments that are just perfect to decorate. They come with twine hangers, but you can clip those off if you plan to make a tabletop display. You can also pick up some miniature trees or snowmen to go along with your house. Use your imagine to create a scene to go along with your houses and have fun with it!

Here's what you'll need:

- Paper mache house

- Acrylic paint in the two colors of your choice

- Large flake glitter - also sold as "snow flakes"

- Spray adhesive

- Quick dry tacky glue

- Small paintbrush

- Newspaper

- Heat gun or blow dryer

Use the heat gun to loosen the glue on the door and windows so you can remove them.

1. Paint the house one color and paint the chimney, windows and doorframe a contrasting color.

2. Squeeze a small amount of the quick dry tacky glue on the back of the door and adhere to the house. Repeat this step with each of the window frames.

3. Place the house on a piece of newspaper and spray the front of the house with the adhesive spray following the manufacturer's directions.

4. Over a clean piece of newspaper, sprinkle the glitter over the front of the house.

5. Repeat this step for each side of the house.

Sharon Dugas is a craft designer who enjoys creating crafts and easy to follow directions for those who don't think they can craft.

Here's a how to video for this project if you'd like to see what the finished house looks like.

posted by datdk @ 6:26 AM