Starting in the early 20th century, dimestore and catalog retailers sold mass-produced putz houses. They made these houses from painted paperboard. Then they are covered in glitter to resemble a blanket of snow.
What Is Paperboard?
Paperboard is very thick paper. Generally, it is more than 12 points in thickness and greater than 250 gsm. It is more rigid and folds better than ordinary paper.
There are many grades of paperboard. American crafters generally use an inexpensive grade that is called kraft chipboard. It is brown and has darker brown speckles in it. European crafters generally use Greyboard, which is a gray paperboard.
What In The World Is A Point?
In America, paper’s thickness is called caliper. The measurement unit is the point. A point is one-thousandth of an inch (0.001 inches). It is often abbreviated as pt.
So 22pt Kraft chipboard is a brown speckled paper 22 thousandths of an inch (0.022 inches) thick. The same thickness as the paperboard used in a cereal box.
What Happened To Pounds – Like 20lb Bond?
It is still there. Paperboard has a weight that is figured on 1000 12×12 inch basis pages.
You are more likely to find something called grammage. It is the weight of a single sheet of paper, one square meter in size. You will see it represented as a number followed by g/m2 or the abbreviation gsm (grams per square meter) – for example, 298 gsm. For many manufacturers, grammage is replacing basis weight.
Thickness is more important than weight when picking out kraft chipboard. That is why you usually see points mentioned in product descriptions.
How Thick A Paperboard Should I Choose?
Today serious crafters make their putz houses from 22 pt kraft paperboard. It is strong enough to hold its shape but not thick and clunky.
Also, you can easily cut it with a craft knife. When you use a bone folder, it scores and folds cleanly.
Why Can’t I use Cereal Boxes For My Putz House?
Many sources recommend collecting empty cereal boxes as an inexpensive source of paperboard. It can work initially when you want to try a putz house but are not sure you will like it. Things change once you decide to make several houses.
You would think all cereal boxes are the same. Unfortunately, they are not. Some manufacturers coat the inside of the boxes. These are harder to glue together. Others use sturdy paperboard, which makes fine houses. Others use weaker paperboard. Plus, they are not all the same thickness. So it can take a while to get enough paperboard to make a Christmas village.
Luckily, a reliable and consistent supply of paperboard is no farther away than your front door. You can order it online from your favorite e-commerce store for home delivery.
Paperboard comes in cut sheets in convenient sizes like US letter(8½ x 11). You know exactly how thick the paperboard is because you select the caliper. Quantities vary from packages holding a few sheets to cases holding hundreds of sheets.
Do I Use Paperboard For Door And Window Trim?
If you are crafting a classic putz house, you will not have any door or window trim. While many originals had cellophane windows none, had door or window trim.
On the other hand, modern holiday village houses do have trim. Many of them also have shingles, especially Halloween houses.
I like to make my trim about half the thickness of the walls and roof. I use 22pt kraft chipboard to make the walls and roof. So I like to use 110lb(298 gsm) cardstock. It is 12pt in thickness.
You should be able to order it from the same place you get your paperboard.
Can I Add Shingles To My Putz House?
When I make Christmas or Easter houses, I don’t usually add individual shingles. When I do add them, I want to make sure they don’t dominate the building. So I make them from 65lb(176 gsm) cardstock. This 6pt paper is half the thickness of the cardstock I use for window and door trim. I think it matches the size and character of the houses.
When I need thick shingles, I use the 110lb cardstock for window and door trim. I think it makes good-looking slate shingles for things like churches. I also use it when I am making Halloween villages. I make them all sorts of irregular shapes, so the buildings look creepy.
Final Thoughts
If all you want to do is try out making a putz house, you can use an empty cereal box. When you decide to make several houses, you will want a reliable and consistent supply of paperboard.
Today serious crafters make their putz houses from 22 point kraft paperboard. You can easily cut and fold it with a craft knife, metal ruler, and a bone folder.
If you are crafting modern holiday villages, especially Halloween houses, you will also need trim and shingles. Just remember, a classic putz house does not have shingles or door and window trim.
It is nice to know you can order all of your paperboard and cardstock online from your favorite e-commerce store and have it delivered to your home.