I always love seeing vintage Christmas glitter houses. However, they are usually done in pastel colors that don’t match my Christmas decor. That’s why I decided to make my own DIY Vintage-Inspired Christmas Glitter House with a modern twist. It was my day 5 craft for my Instagram Stories series “12 Days of Christmas Crafts.” Every day I’m sharing a different Christmas craft in my Instagram stories.
The modern twist of my glitter house comes both from the colors I used and the fact that I didn’t use bottle brush trees. I love using bright red in my Christmas decor; however, the traditional glitter houses come in muted, pastel colors. Therefore, I broke the mold and used bright reds paired with black, white, gold and natural greens. And while I love bottle brush trees, I thought the modern house deserved a modern take on the trees as well. I think the final outcome perfectly reflects my style and is a fun new take on a classic Christmas decoration.
The house started with a paper mache house set I found at Hobby Lobby. The house set came with three house sizes and I used the largest size. I originally bought the house set in October and used the smallest house for my DIY Haunted House Pumpkin Centerpiece. I hope you’ll check it out as well. You can also find individual houses on Amazon, Michaels and Oriental Trading Co.
This is a great craft project to do with kids because while the end result looks complicated, the steps are actually very simple: 1) Paint house, 2) Glitter everything, 3) Spray everything with a clear coat of paint and 4) Glue on all embellishments. It’s also a great project to do in one afternoon or break it up into a couple of days. I did mine over the course of three days and it provided a fun “craft break” each day. Now let’s get to the simple how-to.
Materials
- Paper Mache House (I used this 3-piece House Set)
- White & black craft paint
- Painter’s tape
- Clear Crystal Glitter
- Epsom Salt
- Mod Podge
- Faux greenery & berries (I used this Cedar & Berry Bush from Michaels)
- Clear Glossy Spray Paint
- Gold bead strand (I used this Gold Bead Strand from Target)
- Red velvet ribbon (3/8″ wide)
- Hot glue & hot glue gun
- Miniature wood picket fence (I used this fence from Michaels)
- 2 wooden skewers
- Electric Candle
Instructions
Step 1: Paint House
First, paint the base layer of the whole house. I painted the roof and house in white with black accents on the window dormers. You may need to do a couple of coats depending on the craft paint you use. Let dry.
Next, paint the window frames. Tape off the windows using painter’s tape in order to create the “framed” window look. Seel the edges of the painter’s tape by first painting over the edges with the white base color paint. Once dry, paint black (or another accent color). Let paint dry before moving on to the next step.
Step 2: Glitter Everything
Add glitter to the sides of the house & dormers of the top of the house. Using mod podge, cover one side of the house with glue and then glitter using just the clear crystal glitter. Repeat on all four sides as well as with the dormers of the top of the house.
Add glitter to the white fence. Using the mod podge and glitter, add glitter to both sides of your white fence.
Add the “snowy” glitter mixture to the top of the house. The top of the house uses a “snowy” glitter mixture that you make by combining Epsom salt with glitter. You’ll use 2 parts Epsom salt to 1 part glitter (I did 1 cup Epsom Salt to 1/2 cup glitter). Cover the house with mod podge and then sprinkle on the Epsom salt/glitter mixture. Let dry. Repeat with a second coat to build up the “snowy” effect. Don’t be afraid to let your mod podge glue be clumpy to add to the “snowy” effect.
Add the “snowy” glitter mixture to the cedar branches and berries. Using the mod podge and Epsom/salt glitter mixture, you’ll add “snow” to the cedar branches and berries. Just add the mod podge on in random spots so that some of the natural green and red still show through the “snow”.
Step 3: Spray Everything with a Coat of Clear Glossy Spray Paint
In order to set the glitter, spray the house and all embellishment pieces with a coat of clear glossy spray paint. This step will ensure the glitter stays on the house and doesn’t get all over your real home.
Step 4: Glue on All Embellishment Pieces
Decorate the roofline. First hot glue on cedar pieces all the way around the house. Then add berry pieces. Last drape the gold beaded garland.
Make three wreaths (one for over the door and one for each side). I used a couple pieces of the faux cedar branches to create the base of the wreath. Then I embellished the wreath with three faux berries, two gold beads, and one red bow. Glue finished wreaths to the house.
Make two pine trees. Using the wooden skewers, hot glue the cedar branch pieces around the skewer to form a tree. It will take three layers of cedar pieces to form the trees. (To learn more, see my saved Instagram Stories for a video of how I made the trees.)
Add picket fence. Cut your picket fence in two pieces that each wrap around one side of the house. On the corner of one fence piece, hot glue a pine tree. Repeat with the other fence piece. Hot glue fence pieces to the house.
Step 5: Add Electric Candle & Enjoy!
Luckily the top removes so you can add a large electric candle that lights up the house. Then enjoy by creating a village scene or simply put your house on a tray and let it stand on its own. It’s a show stopper either way!
