House No. 84: Tomte Hüs

House No. 84: Tomte Hüs*

card stock and glue

10 in. x 10 in.

084/365; 03/25/11

I continue to be inspired by Scandinavian design this week. Behold, a little box! Another container for holding goodies!  The door opens for filling and emptying. Or for entry for a wee gnome (in Swedish, tomte).

I think that this house would be a sweet party favor. A village of these would make an adorable count-down calendar for your favorite holiday. Please send me photos if you try out the template!

I plan on revisiting this house in fabric as well. How cute would this be with a button closure on the door? When I do, I'll post a pattern for you.

*Yes, the umlaut is superfluous. I can't help myself. Maybe it's exposure to eighties hair bands. I also have the urge to give this house a first name.

For You Friday: Tomte Hus (Gnome House) Template

For you to use ... a house box template that I made and used for today’s post. For best results, print on card stock and fold with folding instructions facing in, or cut it out and use it as a template or stencil to mark the paper you will be using. 

The template is set up to be made with a single sheet of letter-sized paper, but there are are alternate cutting marks if you would like to make the house with a different colored roof, as I did for the Tomte Hüs.

For the door, I simply pasted on another color square of paper to the house body before cutting. The fold of the paper makes its own hinge. If you are filling the house with treats as a favor, I would recommend using a clear, perforated seal to seal the door. A small, round sticker in a contrasting color would also look cute.

This house would be a super cute party favor — imagine them at a wedding made with Florentine or Chiyogami paper. A village of these would make an adorable count-down calendar for your favorite holiday.

They are simple to make, so grab some willing friends, form an assembly line, and make an entire diminutive neighborhood. It takes a village to raise a village, folks.

Enjoy, and if you create something with the template, please send a photo for me to post!