How to Set Up a Little Christmas Village on a Mantle
Fireplace mantles are popular decorating spots at Christmas time. If you have just started collecting miniature villages, the mantle is a prominent place to park your small town. Overcrowding and too many houses and churches give a Christmas village a chaotic appearance; however, the mantle has limited space, making this a perfect spot for small collections. Instead of lining up the shining little houses, form them into a sweet little snow scene that appeals to everyone. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 2 power strips
- Tape or staples
- Cotton batting
- Scissors
- Miniature trees
- Small set of twinkle lights
- Books
- Village set
- Accessories
- Tacky putty
Instructions
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Gather all the village pieces and equipment in one place. Clear everything from the mantle and wipe it down. Remove the artwork that hangs above the mantle and replace with a snowy scene depicting Christmas time.
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Place power strips on each end of the mantle, lining up against the wall. Run the cord down the side of the fireplace surround. Tape or staple the cord to prevent it from hanging loose, but be careful not to staple through the cord.
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Lay out the "snow," covering the entire mantle, draping over the front. Cotton batting can be used as the snow.
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Place a book or two under the batting to make hills. Raising the houses in different places creates different dimensions on which to place the houses. Arrange the houses, with at least one house on a hill; vary the distance to the edge of the mantle for each house so they are not all in a row. Leave enough room for accessories in front and between the houses and a backdrop in back of the houses.
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Cut small holes in the batting that the electric cord can go through. Plug the bulb into the bottom or back of the houses and push the excess cord through the hole and plug into the power strip.
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Set up the backdrop for the village by placing a tall row of trees that vary in height and shades of green behind the houses, close to the wall. The trees should all be taller then the houses to create a look of a forest behind the village. String a small line of twinkling lights behind the trees to give them a soft glow.
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Use tacky putty to keep the people and accessories in place. A small bit of putty placed under the base of the accessory and then pushed down into the batting keeps your people and sleighs from tipping over.
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Arrange the accessories into small settings, such as kids sledding down a hill or carolers singing around the village Christmas tree. Keep the settings simple and not too crowded or the village will become cluttered.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not stuff the batting around the power strips. Cover loosely with the batting to allow air to circulate and check for overheating.
Never leave the village unattended when lit.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit village sous la joie image by papydiesel from Fotolia.com
