working on: little houses





I love cardboard holiday villages. Finding vintage sets in good shape is difficult, and most modern sets are a little uninspired, so a couple of years ago I started to make my own, in a couple of different styles. They've proved to be popular gifts.

This particular model recycles old cardboard tubes as the base. I save the ones from the center of gift wrap, paper towels, lint rollers, etc. because paper alone isn't sturdy enough to make a solid little house. A dremel tool comes in handy to cut down the tubes and to bore holes for windows and doors. I think all mini-houses look better lit up - I love seeing light peeking out the tiny windows - and these are the perfect size to accommodate flickering LED tealights.