Let's talk about cardboard Christmas houses and accessories

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:24 pm 
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I was trying to think of some relatively easy houses to make that weren't too creepy or spooky that families with kids would enjoy so I thought I would make a Candy Corn Halloween House. I wanted it to be structurally easy to make so I could make these houses quickly. So my first attempt was a simple gable house with candy corn-colored paper that was glittered. I used a scrapbook paper for the roof that shows old fashioned images on it. When I made this house I was still having trouble making windows so I outlined them with some orange and white baker's twine to cover up the irregularities in cutting the windows. I liked the house, but it wasn't "candy cornish" enough if you know what I mean.

So the second house was cut in the shape of a piece of candy corn, but the roof had no overhang and I was still having trouble cutting the candy corn shaped windows. (I now have a die that is very close to that shape so I should be able to cut out much better windows.) I also had trouble making it square because if your walls are not straight up and down, you have to angle your pattern. You can see that the bottom is not really flat.

By the 3rd house I had a pattern I liked. First, I could make it square, second I decided that painting the houses for something like candy corn makes much more sense that pasting on colored paper. I also found some nice orange glitter that made the orange color really stand out. The yellow glitter is very nice too.

As is true of a lot of my houses, I do not have a base yet. I tried to make a circular base, but it warped and looks like a melted record. Now I've made a paper press so I can glue stuff like that together and keep it from warping.

Please let me know which one you like best. I appreciate all of your suggestions. Everyone is so kind on this forum. Thank you.

Lucy

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Candy Corn 1 - side view, med.jpg
Candy Corn 1 - side view, med.jpg [ 39.55 KiB | Viewed 12982 times ]


Attachment:
Candy Corn 2, med.jpg
Candy Corn 2, med.jpg [ 35.19 KiB | Viewed 12982 times ]


Attachment:
Candy Corn 3 side view, med.jpg
Candy Corn 3 side view, med.jpg [ 40.23 KiB | Viewed 12982 times ]


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 6:41 am 
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Number THREE!...without a doubt!...absolutely delightful!...Not that there is anything wrong with the others...but THREE nailed it...

Just a thought about precut round corrugated cardboard bases that might work...take a look in the cake decorating department at a craft or party supply store...they might come in small diameters...

Howard...

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 6:56 am 
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Lucy, thanks for sharing these. Like you and Howard, I like the last one the best, but the other two are great, too. I like the old Halloween postcard images on the roof of the first one. I have scanned most of these old postcards myself to use for my Halloween Trains pages, so I could do something like that if I had time.

Keep up the great work!

Paul


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 12:28 pm 
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I'm so glad you like them. There are corner punches at craft stores that could easily round the corners. I hadn't thought of that. My skills have advanced a little since I made those houses, I might even be able to cut rounded corners with famous "inexact knife".

Paul, I laughed when you said "I could do something like that if I had the time." I know you are busy while all your enterprises. Thank you for maintaining this forum. I am having a great time here.

Lucy


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 11:53 am 
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Lucy, love your candy corn house... I too have had Halloween on the mind lately. Tell me more about your paper press. You said you made it? From what and how big is it.
Debbie W


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 2:16 pm 
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Thank you for your comments. I misread Howard's post though it is now clear to me what he was talking about. I thought he was talking about rounding the corners of the house (the base of the house) to give more of a candy corn shape to the house while retaining the straight walls.

Yes, they have really nice round cake bases at the hobby stores (where I go at least twice a week). My brother makes fun of me (gently and with a kindly intent) that I would rather buy $60 of materials to make something that might cost $6. Too true. I am including a picture of my homemade press which is not complicated at all. I use it to glue my bases together to make sure they adhere completely. It's just some small pieces of 1/4" plywood (6" x 10") and some clamps. The quick clamps are really cool and work very nicely when I have a fatter base. Otherwise I use the the spring clamps.

You can make much more sophisticated paper presses with screws and wing nuts. I goggled leaf presses when I was trying to figure out what to do. My system is simple and perfect for my projects.

I'm also enclosing a photo of my warped base. I was trying to make a removable top where you can put in one of the LED tea lights. I was successful at doing that when I did the Black Hat Inn, but this base is not usable at all. I need to put it in the recycling.

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paper press.jpg
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round base - warped.jpg
round base - warped.jpg [ 16.46 KiB | Viewed 12981 times ]


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:35 am 
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Lucy, this last base looks like a ribbon spool. If it's about the same size . . . . :-)


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Note: All content on this forum is Copyright (c) 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Paul D. Race
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