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Paper house ornaments

These paper house ornaments were a lovely little holiday craft to do while the snow was blanketing our neighborhood last weekend. Simple yet elegant, these little paper houses are lovely on the Christmas tree.

Paper house ornament on christmas tree

Our paper house ornaments were super simple, but they could also be jazzed up and decorated with glittering white snow or a colorful roof. These tree ornaments could look like your childhood home or your dream house! The options are limitless.

Here are some cute holiday paper houses I pinned for inspiration:

If you’d like to print a pre-made template outline of a house, the blog Babble Dabble Do offers these free pdf paper house templates. Check it out if you’re not into drawing your own pattern to form the 3D shape of the home. Some of the articles I pinned (listed above) also include free downloadable paper house templates.

We just drew up our own paper house templates out of our heads. Most of the “walls” were about 2 inches by 2 inches. A ruler was helpful! Our favorite looks like a simplified version of our own house. Drawing it out on a flat piece of paper was a bit of a mind-bender, but no more so than your average puzzle in the newspaper.

Cardstock and scrapbook paper rack

Supplies for paper house ornaments

Here are the supplies we used for our paper house ornaments:

  • White cardstock
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Snap-off craft knife
  • Cutting board
  • Tacky glue
  • Clothespins or small binder clips
  • String

Gather your supplies together before starting this project.

Cut out windows and doors of the paper house

How to make paper house ornaments

Here are the steps we took to make these paper house ornaments for the Christmas tree:

  1. Sketch out a template or use a pre-made template (see links earlier in this article). Your paper house will need 4 walls, plus a roof and possibly a base if you’re into it. We made the height & width dimensions about 2″ on all sides. That made it fairly simple. See the photos below. Use a ruler! I also found it helpful to put an F on the front wall of the house and a B on the back wall. But that’s just me.
  2. Use the craft knife to cut out the shape you’ve drawn (or the shape on the pre-made template).
  3. Cut out some fun features like windows and doors. I free-hand cut mine, so they’re a bit slanted. Meh. I think that paper house ornaments should have a bit of character :)
  4. Bend the paper at all the fold points to pre-fold the house shape.
  5. Glue the house together. I found this worked best in steps. I’d glue one paper tab, then clamp it with clothespins and let it dry for a bit. Then when that connection was holding well, I’d glue the next one. This worked best for me.
  6. Lastly, I strung a piece of thread through the peak of the roof to make a hanging loop. You could use any kind of pretty string to do this.

That’s how we made these DIY paper house ornaments!

If this craft goes badly, you can always buy handmade paper house tree ornaments on Etsy (like this one from Tree Town Paper). I always find it reassuring that I can find a nice version on Etsy if my own is a flop lol!

Supplies for paper house ornament
Drawing out walls of paper house
How to make a 3d paper house christmas tree ornament
Template for paper house tree ornament
Cutting out the shape of the paper house
Poking out the window pieces - paper house christmas craft
Folding together the 3d paper house ornament
Glue together the tabs to make the paper house ornament for the christmas tree
Use clothespins to hold the paper house together while the glue dries
Diy paper house ornaments
Paper house tree ornament - xmas
Mary Jane Duford
Mary Jane Duford

Mary Jane Duford is a passionate gardener and well-acclaimed authority in the world of horticulture. As a certified Master Gardener and Permaculture Garden Designer with over a decade of hands-on experience, she has honed her skills to cultivate a deeper understanding of the natural world around us. Beyond her gardening prowess, Mary Jane holds a distinct edge as a Professional Engineer, an expertise that often intertwines with her gardening methodologies, bringing a unique perspective to her readers.

She is the proud founder of the renowned gardening website, Home for the Harvest, a platform dedicated to helping fellow gardeners, both novice and experienced, find their green thumbs. Her gardening expertise hasn't gone unnoticed; she's been spotlighted as a go-to gardening expert by notable publications like Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Mother Earth News, Real Simple, and the National Garden Bureau.

Delving deep into specific fields of study within horticulture, Mary Jane has an extensive knowledge base on sustainable gardening practices (including permaculture), soil science, and selecting cultivars well-suited to home gardeners. Her passion isn't just limited to plants; she's a staunch advocate for holistic, eco-friendly gardening techniques that benefit both flora and fauna.

Currently residing in the picturesque Okanagan Valley, Mary Jane cherishes the time she spends with her family amidst nature, always exploring, learning, and growing both as a gardener and as an individual.

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