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Cello Sheets

Free Downloads for Putz Building, Displaying, and Restoration!

This page includes links to free, downloadable resources you can use to restore or build cardboard putz houses and accessories. It is a supplement to our Resources and Printed (Paper) Resources pages.

The classic red cellophane windows with gold printed frames are the hardest of all replacement windows to make on your own.  Several years ago, the late “Papa” Ted Althof, collector and historian of vintage putz houses, asked a friend to design mylar replacement windows with silkscreened gold frames. Today, collector Pete Oehman is selling the same windows.

However we also recognize that people sometimes just want to experiment, or they get into a time constraint.  So this page offers an alternative source of cellophane-inspired windows that you can print yourself on overhead projector film (use a color laser or take the files to a business supply store with a color laser for best results).  This is also a good way to create an affordable classroom project. 

For our part, we’ve been experimenting with printing these graphics on overhead projector film with a color laser printer.  Using those media, we’ve discovered that the best result comes from layering the graphics in a sort of “sandwich.”  Consequently, instead of one graphic to download, we have multiple graphics in a .zip file. 

In our case, we discovered that the gold-on-red sheet shown above looks nice unlit, but when it’s lit the gold glows brighter than the red.  So for a more authentic “lit” look, we print another layer of gold-only sheets to put behind it, followed by a layer of black-only sheets to put behind that. This three-layer sandwich makes the gold look a little darker, but it’s still acceptable - and when incandescent light shines behind the “sandwich,” the door looks very authentic.  If your red isn’t dark enough, substitute the black-on-red version for the black-only one.  (With our color laser, the red was so dark, that two layers of red would have meant that no light to speak of shown through.)

These “All Window” graphics contain four of each of the most common windows (except for one of the small arched windows, of which we could only fit three on a page). You might consider them “samplers.” You can download them individually by clicking them.  Or, for your convenience, you may also download all four at once in a zip file by clicking here.

Come to think of it, the Black on Red might make a good window for a Halloween-themed house.

If you use our windows to try things out, but you want to order a more authentic version from Pete, you should know that every red-on-gold window here has an equivalent on his Cellophane Replacement Window pages.  The blue-paned versions below aren’t available yet from anyone commercially, though.  

A much less common pattern was the Silver on Blue windows.  Generally you only see these in the small square or rectangular windows, although I’ve seen one in a small low arched windows.  Still, since we have the graphics “ready to go,” we went ahead and made every window available in that color scheme as well.

Again, you can download them individually by clicking them.  Or, for your convenience, you may also download all four at once in a zip file by clicking here.

A very rare pattern was the Gold on Blue windows.  Like the Silver on Blue windows, you usually only see these in the smaller sizes.  Still, since we have the graphics “ready to go,” we went ahead and made every window available in that color scheme as well.  My purist friends would want you to know that you may be using patterns that have never been observed “in the wild.”

Again, you can download them individually by clicking them.  Or, for your convenience, you may also download all four at once in a zip file by clicking here.

We have other versions to add as we get time, so please check back. 

As soon as we made the first, red-on-gold set, we realized that most people wouldn’t be using as many of the big arched windows as they would the little square or rectangular windows.  So we broke out the windows by sizes and made one-page “sandwiches” for each size.  If you print one of these, you simply cut that page apart to get the windows you need.  And you haven’t printed a bunch of windows you’ll never use.   We went with the gold-on-red, silver-on-blue, and gold-on-blue standards.  (Why don’t we have silver-on-red?  I’ve never seen that combination in the “wild;” that’s why.)

Again, you can download them individually by clicking them.  Or, for your convenience, you may also download all four at once in a zip file by clicking here.

The silver-on-blue window sets are below.   Again, you can download them individually by clicking them.  Or, for your convenience, you may also download all four at once in a zip file by clicking here. 

The gold-on-blue window sets are below.   Again, you can download them individually by clicking them.  Or, for your convenience, you may also download all four at once in a zip file by clicking here. 

We hope to have some example photos of these windows installed before long, so please check back.

All graphics on this page are copyrighted.  You are allowed to download these files and print them (or have them printed) for your personal use.  You may also use these graphics when making original putz houses to sell.  However, you are not permitted to resell the graphics or republish them in any form without first contacting us for written permission.