Warm lighted windows on a dark night just look so cozy and nice. Let these Holiday Houses bring that winter wonderland feeling to your house. Make one in minutes with any Annie’s or Kraft-style macaroni & cheese box. Windows are made out of tracing or tissue paper. So easy! Put LED tealights inside – or set in a window sill where it will glow in even a little daylight.

Make just one, to look magical on a table or shelf. Or start a village that grows from year to year. These houses mix well with other holiday decorations you might already have, so you can keep your old traditions while you start a new one. Holiday Trees are perfect with these houses too!

• Made with empty Annie’s or Kraft-type macaroni & cheese boxes

• You’ll need a pencil, scissors, a craft knife, regular and double-sided tape, a little tissue paper or tracing paper, and this pattern .

• Light up with an LED tealight or perch it on a window sill to catch the daylight.

• A low-stress, low-mess activity to put your home in the holiday mood

• Kids can help with everything except cutting the windows out.

Steps At a Glance:

Ready? Here’s how:

1

You’ll need:

• an empty mac&cheese box

• regular and (optional) double-sided tape

• scissors

• a craft knife - and scrap cardboard to cut on

• a little piece of tracing paper or tissue paper

• an LED tealight (optional)

• black marker

• This pattern printed and cut out

2

Open the bottom flaps and the side seam by gently separating them. You need all the flaps. It’s OK if the box peels a bit. If the glue is stubborn try starting from the other end.

Set your flat box so the narrow side flap is to the left, as shown here. Put the pattern on the box so the pattern lines up with the box folds.

Trace all around with pencil.

3

Draw windows on the right side of the house. See the photo at the top if you want some ideas.

Draw a bigger house-shaped window on the left side of the house.

Cut the house out with scissors. Cut the windows with a craft knife (cut on top of scrap cardboard to protect the table, and watch the fingers).

4

Bend all of the factory-made folds backwards.

Fold the three roof sections down firmly like this to make creases. Make them line up straight with the box and not go off at an angle like they might want to.

5

Tape a piece of tracing or tissue paper (white or colored) over the front windows. Leave the big window open.

Draw marker lines from the inside for window panes.

You can decorate the outside of your house at this point if you like. Markers work great.

6

Tape the entire side seam closed with double-sided tape. I like to tape this seam with the house part going over the flap, so the flap is hidden.

If you’re using regular tape, tape the side seam closed from the outside.

Close the bottom flaps back up and tape with regular tape.

You’re almost done!

7

Find the side of the roof that has three flaps and put double-sided tape on those. Tuck the two big ones inside and seal (the little one at the top will get sealed next). Put tape on the two flaps on the other roof side. Tuck the little top flap in first, then tuck the other half of the roof in.

Place your fingers along the flaps on the outside and inside of the house, and press the seams together for a strong seal.

If you’re using regular tape, tuck the flaps in the same way and tape them from the outside.

That’s it!

Put an LED tealight inside or set on a window sill. If you are purchasing LED tealights, consider getting ones that come with a remote or timer for convenience.

And remember to make some Holiday Trees to go with your houses!

Happy holidays!

Questions

Will this work with boxes from other brands of macaroni & cheese?

Yes. If your box is a little bigger/smaller than the pattern, no worries! Center one house shaped-portion of the pattern on one large panel of the box, trace around it, then shift the pattern to be centered over the other large panel and trace around.

Can I make my house shorter, like in the pictures?

Yes! Shorten by cutting off an extra inch or so of the bottom when you cut it out.

What if I want to put a house in the middle of a table?

For a centerpiece that looks good from all sides, put two houses back to back. Or you can cut windows into the front and back. Remove or push in the bottom flaps of the box and set the house over the tealight.

I hope you have fun making these! If you have questions, please drop me a line.