A putz house is a small stylized paper building originally used as a Christmas decoration. Each putz house is usually painted and covered in glitter to resemble a building blanketed by deep winter’s snow. Often several putz houses, a model train, and other items are combined together to create a Christmas village.
Where Did They Come From?
The Moravians, or Unitas Fratrum(United Brethren), were German-speaking Protestants who immigrated to the American colonies in the early 1700s. They set up Christmas villages around their nativities as part of their traditional seasonal decorations.
The tradition became widespread at the end of the 19th century when dimestores, like Woolworth’s, started selling inexpensive paperboard Christmas villages. These early putz house villages were made in Germany and did not light up.
Why Are They Called Putz Houses?
The Moravian immigrants spoke German. So they referred to their Christmas village decorations as putz, which means finery or trappings.
Eventually, it was Americanized to putz house.
Who Created The Classic Putz House?
During WWI, dimestores developed suppliers in Japan to replace the German-made houses.
At first, these houses were simply candy boxes with stick-on windows. Eventually, they became houses specifically built for Christmas villages.
By 1928 the Japanese created the classic putz house. They added cellophane windows and a cutout for a C-6 Christmas tree lightbulb to the paperboard buildings.
The Japanese continued as the primary supplier of Putz houses until WWII.
Can You Still Get Classic Putz Houses?
During WWII American toy companies replaced the Japanese putz house suppliers. The American companies provided a limited supply of putz houses during the war.
When the war ended, Americans turned their attention to more modern Christmas decorations. Demand for putz houses dwindled through the 1950s. By 1960 Putz houses virtually disappeared from American Christmas decorations.
Today, putz houses are a collector’s item. You may find them in your grandmother’s attic. Also, you can buy them at garage sales and online sites specializing in used articles.
What Is The Putz House Revival?
As we reached the end of the 20th century, people started cleaning out grandma’s attic. They discovered boxes of old Christmas decorations. Among them were little paperboard houses.
Fortunately, ‘Papa’ Ted Althof appreciated what they were. He began collecting, restoring, and documenting their history. His effort drew the attention of other collectors. Their efforts led to the putz house revival.
Sadly, Ted Altof passed away. But Paul Race and his family continue the effort.
What Is A Modern Putz House?
As the putz house revival grew, so did people’s desire to own them. But classic houses were hard to find and were often in terrible condition. So they tried to create their own.
The lack of accurate patterns and original materials pushed crafters to innovate. They created their own designs and substituted other materials, which gave a similar appearance.
Once people began to create original designs, they expanded the putz house to other holidays, like Halloween and Easter.
Perhaps nobody is more closely associated with the modern putz house than Howard Lamey. Not only has he reinterpreted the classic patterns so that modern crafters can create their own buildings, but he has also made new elements. For example, he created flatties, which are figures that can be added to a holiday village.
What’s A Holiday Village?
Originally, putz houses were only Christmas decorations. The putz house revival sparked a lot of interest, which led to the modern putz house. Paper crafters took the contemporary version to heart and created their own Christmas villages.
Then they saw that they could extend the modern houses to other holidays like Halloween and Easter. So they created holiday villages to go with their new creations.
Paper crafters are continuing to develop new holiday village ideas. They are exploring ways to create Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day villages.
What Is A Glitter House?
A glitter house and a putz house are two names for the same thing.
Final Thoughts
Putz houses are part of a long holiday tradition that stretches back to the American colonies’ early days.
Dimestores introduced the paperboard putz house to America at the end of the 19th century. Its popularity grew throughout the first half of the 20th century. Until it was eclipsed by more modern Christmas decorations.
At the end of the 20th century, people rediscovered them in grandma’s attic. This ignited the putz house revival that gave rise to the modern putz house.
Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, paper crafters are expanding this long-time favorite to new holidays. It will be interesting to see where they take us.
Explore Further
If you would like to know more about the putz house revival, take a look at Paul Race’s site – Cardboard Christmas.
You can see what Howard Lamey is up to at his own site – Little Glitter House.