As many of you know, I am downright dangerous with an exacto knife--and cutting windows and doors is oh so stressful for me--I also have long fingernails which make the task even harder (and which I refuse to give up).

That's why I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of Pete's die tool for windows/doors. In the meantime, a little miracle has occurred--and it actually works for me. Perhaps it will for you.

Not long ago I bought one of those horrid plastic putz house sets from a tag sale--you know the ones I mean--the box was only a dollar -- but the houses inside turned out to be a mess--the plastic in some case had yellowed while some houses were just falling apart.

And it was when one of those fell apart in my hand that I realized I had the perfect stencil!

I just place the house like shown on the photo below down on the cardboard and run my sharp fine point pen round and round the appropriate "window" until I can just push out the cardboard! I use the tapered top of the pen to burnish any rough edges on the hole.

I experimented for well over a half hour today on various thicknesses of paper and cardboard--and for me it works--better still all the plastic houses have windows and doors in various sizes and shapes so I can have an endless supply of "templates"

VERY clever. And I'm sure your fingers will thank you.

I am jealous you found such a great template, I also struggle with windows. I have been working on windows over the weekend and again tonight. I just keep telling myself the coconut will hide some of the imperfections….

I am jealous you found such a great template, I also struggle with windows. I have been working on windows over the weekend and again tonight. I just keep telling myself the coconut will hide some of the imperfections….

Thats really cool! Great discovery!! I just did something similar only I made my own stencil out of cardstock. I did it to cut out a tinfoil mullion. It worked well because it held the tinfoil down in all the other places I wasn't cutting....tinfoil is some SUPER thin stuff!

Hi everyone. I'll post a pix of the box and houses later so that when you find them, you'll buy them--because this is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it for people who struggle with windows and doors.

Cool idea.

All this talk make me wonder about Peter's punch.

Steve

Long nails are NOT something I was ever plagued with. However if you glue a paper Backing to your foil you may find it easier to handle and cut out. Just thought of something. Why not glue one of Pete's mullion windows to the foil? It gives you a template and strengthens the foil at the same time. Tom

Hi Lynn and everyone else; this set is all over ebay; as promised, here are some pix; as you can see the window cutouts are in all different sizes and shapes--p.s. you have to peel off the graphic sticker front. Just remember if you find these to use a very sharp point pen to go round and round the opening--and use something tapered to burnish any rough edges once the window pops out of your cardboard--although to be frank, this works so well on most cardboard, I don't need to do much burnishing. All this being said, I am simply overjoyed at how well this works! I have ZERO excuses for not making more houses now. So here's the plan. I'm going to slowly get my work area together over the next few weeks and if life does not interrupt, there WILL be houses!

Great start for the New Year, Maria!!! Super discovery!! Can't wait to see your creations!! Happy New Year!!!