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There are two things I absolutely love – making gifts for my friends and decorating for the holidays – any holiday. Those two things come together in the mother of all holidays, Christmas! And as my granny would say, “It’s right around the corner” (silly me…when I was a child, I would walk to the end of her street to see if I could see Christmas…after all, it was right around the corner).

My sweetie and I have been married 43 years. In that time, we have collected ornaments from our travels across the United States, we’ve managed to accumulate tons of Christmas lights, and in the last few years we’ve added many quality items to our stash. And it’s a big stash. I love to add a new element each year, but I’m running out of room, so I decided to create our 2013 keepsake using Smoothfoam with paper and embellishments from The Robin’s Nest. Their little Dew Drops add a lacy appeal to the roof lines and the Smoothfoam keeps it lightweight.
This cute little Christmas cottage can stand alone or have more pieces added each year to make a whole village. Wouldn’t it look great on a mantel? You could also make several and use them to surround your Christmas tree before all the presents are wrapped and then again after they have been opened. Nothing is as sad as a Christmas tree with no gifts under it.
Supplies
One 6″x12″ Smoothfoam sheet
Two 6″x12″ Smoothfoam sheets, cut to three 3-1/4″ x 4-3/4″ pieces
Card stock – red, green, striped
Dew Drops in assorted colors and shapes
Green and white acrylic paints
Beacon Hold the Foam Adhesive
Beacon Quick Grip Adhesive
Viva Décor Gold Pearl Pen
Transparency sheet
1-3/4″ circle punch
8″ gold cord
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad – Pine Needles
Cosmetic sponge, paint brush
Black marker, toothpick
Hot foam cutter or sharp knife
Ruler, large metal washers
Small sharp scissors
Cellophane tape
Note: All card stock edges are sponged with Pine Needles ink. For elements that are glued directly to the foam, use Foam adhesive. For embellishments and paper-to-paper, use Quick Grip adhesive.

1. Paint the 6″x12″ Smoothfoam sheet (main house) with two coats of green; let dry. Glue the three Smoothfoam rectangles together (doorway), let dry, then paint the same.
2. Mix a small amount of white into the green paint and use it to stamp swirls all over the house, including the side edges. Use the gold Pearl Pen to trace some of the stamped swirl lines. Set aside to dry.
3. Draw two curves at the top of the doorway block and cut away the excess.
4. Cut eight small shingles (1-1/4″ x 1″) from dark green card stock. Use the Gold Pearl pen to color along the 1-1/4″ side of each. Use a toothpick to drag the gold lines toward the top of each shingle to create a woodgrain effect. Adhere to the sides of the doorway, beginning at the bottom and overlapping each piece. Glue gold cord to the corners of the doorway.
5. Cut the door from striped card stock. Add a bar across the middle and attach a round gold Dew Drop for the door knob. Lightly draw a small circle on the upper portion of the door. Arrange green and red Dew Drops to form a wreath and glued to the block.
6. Cut two 1-1/2″ x 3″ pieces of red card stock. Score a line 1/2″ from the long edge. Mark 1/4″ increments on the scored edge and trim a small triangle at each mark. Bend the card stock to fit the curve of the doorway roof. Place small strips of cellophane tape to the underside of the cut edge with the adhesive facing out (provides a base for the Dew Drops to stick). Trim off the excess.
7. Adhere the pieces to the doorway roof, adhering flush at the back with a slight overhang in the front, and gently fold the cut strips down. Place red Dew Drop circles in the center of each flap and white Dew Drop diamonds to cover the adhesive tape between the red circles on each flap.
Cut a 1-1/2″ square from the same paper used for the roof. Score a 1/4″ strip in the middle. Fold and adhere to the roof top.
8. For the main house roof, cut two 1-3/4″ x 6″ strips of red cardstock. Follow the directions doorway roof, the only difference is that these pieces will be centered from front to back on the roof.
9. Cut a small piece of card stock for the lower window and punch a 1-3/4″ circle for the top window. Draw lines with the black marker on a piece of transparency film and cut shapes the exact size of each window. Adhere all to the house and use the gold Pearl Pen to make dots around the outer edges.
10. Adhere the doorway block to the house and add additional Dew Drop embellishments. Glue a couple large metal washers to the bottom of the house to prevent it from blowing over in a breeze.