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 Ivy Cottage @2021 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 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. A few pieces are cut out of 100 lb cover cardstock where the folds are too delicate for the thicker Kraft Board.
- 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)
- The vertical lines on the front are NOT FOLD LINES, but a guide to help with placement of the entryway.
- 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 Ivy Cottage …
Your kit will include either the Regular Back and Regular Bottom Insert, and 5 windows, a door and back stairs, 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. Put the chimney, porch and stair pieces aside. Fold all of your other pieces towards the back or inside (mountain folds.)
2. Glue all window frames and the doors in place. Align the bottom of the cutouts in the door to the bottom of the corresponding cutout in the front and back. Glue on the archway and peaked trim onto the front entryway.
3. Glue the vellum in place if you are using it.
4. Glue the body together.
5. Glue each of the Inner walls to the body of the house. Glue each inner wall first to the building back, then when dry, glue to the building side.
6. Glue the Main Roof onto the building. Start at the peak and glue down the back side pieces first, centering the roof.
7. Glue down the back roof, and then the front roof. Now shingle if desired. Cut the shingles flush with the cutout at the front of the roof. For the pre-cut kits, you can find a PDF of the shingle here. You can use it to cut out a template.
8. Glue the bottom to the sides of the entryway, and then glue onto the building, snugging it tight against the notch in the main roof.
9. Glue the Entryway Roof onto the Entryway
10. Fold the chimney. The folds are tight, so it helps to use a bone folder to make the score lines deeper. You may also want to use jewelry pliers or tweezers to make the folds.
11. Glue the chimney together. Trim the top of the chimney to make it flush.
12. Slide the chimney down so that it rests on top of the entryway roof, pressed tight to the right side of the notch in the roof. Glue in place.
13. Fold the porch and glue together the sides. Glue onto the entryway of the house.
14. Fold and glue each of the stairs. Starting with the top stair, glue the stair treads into the stair tread sides. I like to glue each stair onto both sides, then move down to the next stair. Then glue in the back and bottom.
15. Glue the widest stairs under the back door.
16. Glue the narrowest stair into the entryway.
17. Glue the railings onto the porch.
18. Glue the bottom step between the railings at the front of the porch.
19. Check the fit of the bottom insert piece, adjusting any of the fold lines as necessary. You may need to trim the corners. Glue in the bottom insert piece now as it will help to help to stiffen and square the walls of the building.
Use the included cardstock to make a base. The kit also includes pieces for a fence.
This piece 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 Ivy Cottage!! I would love to see your finished buildings. Please share a photo with me by emailing me at Jackie@acottageintheforest.com.
Examples for Inspiration
