This kit is for personal use ONLY. Please do not copy, distribute, or sell any part of this design or the instructions without my permission. Pre-Cut Abandoned Mansion @2022 Jacqueline Smith
Please read all instructions prior to beginning the project. If you are new to making houses, make sure you read and understand each step before placing your glue.
I consider this an intermediate/advanced kit.
Before you start your new kit, think about how you will want to decorate it. You can paint the house, paint the house and glitter it, glitter just parts of the house like the roof, use the kit pieces as a guide to cut out decorative paper that you can glue onto the house, or just leave the building white for a modern look. If you leave any portion of the house as unpainted cardboard, I suggest spraying with a matte acrylic sealer like Krylon or Modge Podge Sealer.
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Suggested Material List . . .
- Pre-cut kit has been cut from White Kraft Board. This is equivalent to 120 lb cover cardstock or cardboard.
- Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue. I put it in a bottle with a thin metal tip. If you are new to making kits, you may want to use Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue as this allows more time for you to reposition your pieces if you make a mistake.
- Bone Folder – A bone folder helps you make sharp folds when you are using cardstock or cardboard. While the kit comes pre-scored, I strongly suggest you make the scoring deeper with a bone folder.
- Multi-surface satin finish acrylic paints in your color choices. Two coats are usually required.
- To glitter the house: Extra fine glitter or extra fine iridescent glitter and Spectra Glitter Sparkling Crystals (mixed 50/50) and Modge Podge. I like to apply the Modge Podge with a foam brush to one side of the building at a time, glitter, then move on to the next side. You may like your building glittered with only the extra fine glitter, but I liked adding a slightly chunkier glitter to it too.
- To make the snow: Woodland Flex Paste, Woodland Soft Flake Snow, and Hemway White Ultra Sparkle Glitter. Apply the flex paste and sprinkle a combination of the soft flake snow and Ultra sparkle glitter over it while it is wet. Use a little Modge Podge on a brush to add more of the snow mixture once the flex paste is dry.
NOTES . . . (read before starting)
- This building needs to be glued together in a specific order. I suggest reading through all of the instructions once before you start gluing.
- Due to variations by each builder you may find a trim piece a tad longer than needed. If this happens, simply trim it down to fit.
- DO use the cutting guide below to identify all of the pieces! It’s always a good idea to lay out all of the pieces before you start so that you have everything in the correct place. I include a few extra window frames in the kit.
Cutting Guide for Abandoned Mansion …
Your kit will include either the Regular Back and Regular Bottom Insert, and 6 windows, OR the Putz Back, Putz Bottom Insert, and a strengthening ring for the Putz hole, depending on which option you chose when you purchased the kit.
Let’s get started . . .
The following instructions are to show you how the building should be constructed. I show the order of construction without any paint or glitter. Think about how you will finish the building and if any parts will need to be painted or finished before being glued in place.
There is no wrong way to paint, glitter and glue. Personally, I like to paint the trim and walls when flat, then glue the trim onto the building, add the vellum, and then glue the building together. I then glitter the completed building. However, I know people who glitter the building while flat before gluing it together. I suggest you try different methods until you find out what works best for you. Tutorials for various ways to decorate your house can be found on this website.
Constructing the Building
1. Fold each of the body pieces towards the back or inside (mountain folds), except the Inside Bend piece, which will also have a valley fold down the middle, as shown below.
2. Glue all window frames and the back door in place. Sandwich a piece of vellum under the front door.
3. Glue the vellum in place if you are using it.
4. Fold the Inside Bend and the Tower pieces. Glue the Tower into a rectangle and then glue to the Inside Bend, aligning the bottoms and the cutout.
5. Glue the Curved Front to the Tower, making sure to always align the bottoms.
6. Glue each Popout to a side, wrapping the tabs of the Popout to the back of the side.
7. Glue the two backs together.
8. Glue the sides onto each side of the backs.
9. Glue the Tower/ Curved Front to the sides, completing gluing the building together.
10. Check the fit of the bottom insert piece, adjusting any of the fold lines as necessary. You may need to trim the corners. I like to lower it in from the top. Do not glue in the bottom insert at this time, just let it square up the building before you glue on the roofs. You may need to remove the bottom insert and reach into your building from the bottom to push the roofs together later.
11. Glue on the Curved Front piece roof. You can either glue this roof on flat, or glue it on so it slopes down slightly. Glue on the Popout roofs. These roofs will slope down slightly.
12. Glue down the front part of the Main Roof, fitting the notch around the Tower. There is also a small cut on the right side that slides into the side of the building. By gluing down just the front part of the roof first, you can lift up the back part to help center the roof correctly. Then glue down the back side of the Main Roof. With this type of roof, the tabs of the building are bent in just slightly to hold the roof. You may need to turn over the building and insert a pen through the holes in the bottom insert to push the tabs against the roof.
13. Attach the Smaller Roof, again fitting the notch around the spire.
14. Glue in the Bottom Insert piece now. I like to run the needle tip of my glue bottle between the Bottom Insert and the sides, making sure each side is glued securely before moving on to the next.
15. Glue on the Tower Roof, the Chimney, and the Front Step. Lastly, if, desired, glue on the shutters and boards randomly around the building.
Use the included cardstock to make a base. I made my base 7 1/2″ x 7 1/2″.
This building can be finished with any method you are used to. Don’t worry about it being perfect. Just have fun and enjoy the process!
Enjoy making your Abandoned Mansion!! I would love to see your finished buildings. Please share a photo with me by emailing me at Jackie@acottageintheforest.com.
Examples for Inspiration
