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DIY Paper Christmas Village (+ Free Cut Files)

Itโ€™s amazing what can be done with just paper and glue. This cute paper Christmas village is a perfect holiday season night craft and a special Christmas decor for sure.

Time is flying, and at this rate, weโ€™ll be saying goodbye to this year in no time. Is that just me or did this year flew by in a blink? Todayโ€™s project is a special one.

DIY Paper Christmas Village (+ Free Cut Files) On my mantel Cover image with title text overlay

Creating a Cute Paper Christmas Village

Iโ€™ve been wanting to make a paper Christmas Village for so long and I finally made it and guys, I just love it so much!

Even though this project is so much easier with a cutting machine, it doesnโ€™t mean you canโ€™t make it by hand instead, using the Christmas village templates free printables. Of course, it will take more time and patience but itโ€™s doable.

I created 2 types of houses, 2 complex and 2 simpler so anyone could make it.

general view of Paper Christmas Village Cute and Easy

How to Make this Paper Village

Gather all your tools and materials, then letโ€™s get crafty.

Once your templates are cut, follow the instructions, and assemble your paper Christmas village by folding the tabs and gluing them together with a contact glue or low-temperature hot glue gun if you prefer.

Supplies:

  • Cardstock (White for the house and black for the roofs or your favorites, glitter paper looks so cute!)
  • Contact glue (I Love UHU) or light temperature glue tool and glue stick.
  • Light string.
  • Fleece (to simulate the snow)
  • Any other decoration you might have and want to add.
  • Cutting Machine (preferable or a printer and an X-acto)
  • Scissors.
Paper Christmas Village details

Instructions:

Step 1: Getting Your Paper houses cut:

Snag your cut files to your computer and then open them in your electronic cutting machine app. In my case, I used the Silhouette Cameo app studio.

The files include a pdf version, dxf files, and SVG files for your convenience.

Paper Christmas Village Cut Files Download Button image

NOTE:

Just please keep in mind that for Cricut users, I’ve heard the SVG get a bit messed up in their app. Score lines/fold lines turn into solid lines which are read as cut lines and sometimes the elements don’t show in the right size. So there’s that.

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Drop your designs on your design space in your app and arrange them to fill your paper, but leaving room at the edge for cutting.

Screenshot cutting guide slide

When you are ready, get your cutting settings ready to go (blade, cardstock type, etc).

On the cutting mat (sticky side up) place your cardstock (or is it card stock???) on the sticky side of the cut mat. I wanted to make the roofs black so I separated the white cardstock at the top and the back at the bottom.

Load cutting mat on your machine once your design is locked and ready.

Double-check the settings mentioned above.

Click โ€œSendโ€ โ€” watch the cutting magic begin!

cutting the pattern on paper in the cutting machine

Step 2: Assembling your Christmas Village houses

When you remove the paper you will reveal your designs, itโ€™s so cool. A good cut will just lift right off.

removing the excess paper from the matt

Then carefully lift your designs off of your cutting mat.

removing the piece of paper from the matt

Remove the excess paper around your designs and windows because sometimes it happens when the cuts are small. 

observing the already cut shape

Then start folding along the dashed lines and youโ€™ll see exactly how the house should come together.

folding and assembling the houses

Start gluing your flaps and securing tricky spots.

adding glue to flaps

Roof and chimney are one of those. I like to turn the house over and using a pen or the back of your hook tool to secure the flaps from the inside.

using a pen to reinforce the glue

Carefully fold and glue each part of the house like garages on the side of the house and other parts.

gluing the front door ceiling
gluing the chimney

If you want to go the extra mile you can cut pieces of vellum paper or tissue paper and cover the windows on the inside of the houses. I thought about that too late.

Step 3: Assembling your Village Trees

pieces of trees and houses

For the trees, fold them in half and glue side by side of the tree until they meet the first one again. You can glue 3 or 4 pieces. 

gluing the trees

Step 4: Putting the Christmas Village together

The last part and in my opinion the most exciting one is putting the Christmas Village together.

showing the houses and trees already assembled

I decided to make my Christmas village in my special place… My mantel!

I used fleece as my “snow” and created hills with card boxes underneath them. 

Then place houses and trees along the space to create a cute vignette on my mantel.

placing the pieces on the mantel

I wanted to lighten up the houses but didnโ€™t want to use battery candles because I thought it would be so annoying to turn each one on and off so I went for a light string. It even gives a vibe of fairy lights, so magical!

placing lights inside the houses

I place it along the mantel inserting some of the led bulbs through the back windows. Here if you had added the vellum or tissue paper, you can just cut them a bit exactly where you need the light to go through.

When I turned it on WOW! How magical and beautiful it looked.

Some of the lights went through the trees and to the back so there was a magical light everywhere! 

general view of the Christmas Village from the rigth

I absolutely LOVE how it turned out. 

closeup view of the Christmas Village from the rigth
general view of the Christmas Village from the left
closer view of the Christmas Village from the rigth
closeup view of the Christmas Village from the rigth

I hope I inspire you to make yours.

You can also find so many different gorgeous houses at the Silhouette store if you have a Silhouette and there are also many websites where you can find another type of house for DIY Christmas Village.

Frequently asked questions

Can I Use Something Different Than Cardstock?

Anything less than 160-180 gsm (59-65 LB Cover) might not hold too well depending on the size of the house. It also depends on how thick your cutting machine can cut, or your printer can print and your hands can cut. So I would suggest sticking to medium-weight cardstock.

What types of glue can I use?

That will also depend on the quality of the cardstock. I’ve experienced that normal white glue tends to wrinkle the cardstock. So, I recommend hot glue, UHU glue (contact glue), cold silicone (some brands are better than others), and even double-sided tape. Other glues like tacky glue I have no experience so I would recommend trying and testing. Feel free to share your experience with different glues so I can update this post.

How do I cut Christmas Village houses?

You can cut the houses and even the trees with a cutting machine, like Silhouette Cameo or Cricut. But you can also cut them by hand using scissors or an X-acto knife with patience.

More Christmas Projects to Try

If you love this Paper Christmas Village tutorial, Iโ€™m sure you will love these other Christmas Project ideas too:

โœ‚๏ธ Tutorial

DIY Easy Paper Christmas Village

Diy Paper Christmas Village Tutorial

Camila Rojas
Itโ€™s amazing what can be done with just paper and glue. This cute paper Christmas village is a perfect holiday season night craft and a special Christmas decor for sure.
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Crafting Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Category Christmas Crafts
Topic christmas project, Easy Crafts, Paper Craft
Pieces 8 pieces

Tools

  • Cutting Machine (Cricut or Silhouette) Printer and an X-acto
  • scissors

Supplies
  

  • Cardstock White for the house and black for the roofs or your favorites, glitter paper looks so cute!
  • Contact glue I Love UHU or light temperature glue tool and glue stick.
  • Light string.
  • Fleece to simulate the snow
  • Any other decoration you might have and want to add.

Instructions
 

STEP 1: GETTING YOUR PAPER HOUSES CUT:

  • Snag your cut files to your computer and then open them in your electronic cutting machine app. In my case, I used the Silhouette Cameo app studio.
  • The files include a pdf version, silhouette files, and SVG files for your convenience.
  • When you are ready, get your cutting settings ready to go (blade, cardstock type, etc).
  • On the cutting mat (sticky side up) place your cardstock (or is it card stock???) on the sticky side of the cut mat. I wanted to make the roofs black so I separated the white cardstock at the top and the back at the bottom.
  • Load cutting mat on your machine once your design is locked and ready.
  • Double-check the settings mentioned above.
  • Click โ€œSendโ€ โ€” watch the cutting magic begin!

STEP 2: ASSEMBLING YOUR CHRISTMAS VILLAGE HOUSES

  • When you remove the paper you will reveal your designs, itโ€™s so cool. A good cut will just lift right off.
  • Then carefully lift your designs off of your cutting mat.
  • Remove the excess paper around your designs and windows because sometimes it happens when the cuts are small.
  • Then start folding along the dashed lines and youโ€™ll see exactly how the house should come together.
  • Start gluing your flaps and securing tricky spots.
  • Roof and chimney are one of those. I like to turn the house over and using a pen or the back of your hook tool to secure the flaps from the inside.
  • Carefully fold and glue each part of the house like garages on the side of the house and other parts.
  • If you want to go the extra mile you can cut pieces of vellum paper or tissue paper and cover the windows on the inside of the houses. I thought about that too late.

STEP 3: ASSEMBLING YOUR VILLAGE TREES

  • For the trees, fold them in half and glue side by side of the tree until they meet the first one again.
  • You can glue 3 or 4 pieces.
  • Let them dry.

STEP 4: PUTTING THE CHRISTMAS VILLAGE TOGETHER

  • The last part and in my opinion the most exciting one is putting the Christmas Village together.
  • I decided to make my Christmas village in my special placeโ€ฆ My mantel!
  • I used fleece as my โ€œsnowโ€ and created hills with card boxes underneath them.
  • Then place houses and trees along the space to create a cute vignette on my mantel.
  • I wanted to lighten up the houses but didnโ€™t want to use battery candles because I thought it would be so annoying to turn each one on and off so I went for a light string. It even gives a vibe of fairy lights, so magical!
  • I place it along the mantel inserting some of the led bulbs through the back windows. Here if you had added the vellum or tissue paper, you can just cut them a bit exactly where you need the light to go through.

Notes

NOTE:
Just please keep in mind that for Cricut users, Iโ€™ve heard the SVG get a bit messed up in their app. Score lines/fold lines turn into solid lines which are read as cut lines and sometimes the elements donโ€™t show in the right size. So thereโ€™s that.
The files shared include a pdf version, silhouette files, and SVG files for your convenience.
Keyword diy paper Christmas village, paper christmas village, paper craft

Here I have some Christmas Inspiration for Paper Crafts from my favorite bloggers:

If you love this project as much as I do, donโ€™t forget to PIN and share it with friends!

DIY Paper Christmas Village (+ Free Cut Files) On my mantel Pinterest image with title text overlay

Til’ next time…

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