One of my favorite things to do after constructing barn quilts is to look at my scrap pile and create something new making sure that I use every inch of every board that I cut. When I am finished cutting pieces for a barn quilt I usually end up with many short (7″ to 13″) pieces of wood that are cut at a 45°. Naturally I saw a little village of houses that could be created and arranged on my mantel. Here is the full tutorial for creating these mini houses. If you don’t have access to tools for cutting your own wood be sure to check out our mini house project pile kit in the shop that comes with everything you need to customize your own little village.
You can start with any type of wood in any size. Most of my left over wood is 1″ x 4″, 2″ x 4″, & 1″ x 6″. Having different thicknesses and widths add dimension to your village. After locating the scrap pieces that I want to work with the very first thing that I do is level the bottom of each piece so I know they will style nicely when I arrange and stack them. Next, I cut the top of the pieces to make the pitch of the roof. This can sometimes be challenging. What is great about this project is that nothing needs to be perfect, with that said, here are some tips to create the perfect pitched roof.
Using a square, draw a straight line across your scrap wood from the bottom edge of the 45° angle to the other side. Using the 45° angle edge of your square, line up the straight edge with the line you just made and score an angle onto the roof area. Use a chop saw to cut along that line to create another 45° angle and pitched roof. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect, it just adds character to your village.
Once you have your roof section created you are done with the hard part. Now we get to add all the fun details that will create your village and put your own personal touch on your project. The sky’s the limit when it comes to personalizing your village from adding small windows &/or doors, to decals and stencils. In this example I will show you three different personalization pieces.
I love chalk paint. It dries fast and is great for distressing. For this project start by sanding your pieces. I use 100 grit multipurpose medium sandpaper first to knock off any of the big stuff. Remember to sand with the grain of your wood on the face of your house to prevent scratches in your design. Then I sand the edges with 180 grit fine sandpaper to soften the sharpness and add a worn look. To bring out the distressed areas you can wax your houses at this step. It will help to seal your chalk paint and define the worn features of your design. I highly recommend waxing your design if you will be adding a stencil or screen print to your design.
After your initial sanding paint or stain your village. Here I will be painting this group of mini houses with chalk paint. Paint the entire house and let dry (which shouldn’t take too long when using chalk paint). Optional: Using your fine sandpaper, distress the edges of your mini houses to give your village a farmhouse well worn look. The more you sand the more distressed your houses will appear. Sanding the edges will give a more organic look of a time long past.
After painting (or staining) your mini houses you can personalize as many or as few (or none) as you like. I like to add yarn, string, and ribbon, farmhouse beads, stencils, decal/stickers, fake flowers/greenery, copper pipe chimney’s, windows and doors. You can begin to see how many different options you have to really personalize these mini houses for tiered tray decor, entryway consoles, book shelves, side tables, and mantels. Here are some pictures to inspire your village!
Farmhouse beads and twine. 
Snowflake screenprint and fake floral accent. 
Home example with key details 
Screen print “Simple Life” 
Cooper Chimney Details
Scrap Wood Mini Houses
Equipment
- chop saw
- square
Materials
- scrap wood pieces
- paint or stain
- decorating accents Optional: ribbon, twine, fake greenery/florals, farmhouse beads, stencils, stickers, decals, etc…
Instructions
- Step 1: Gather your scrap wood and square. Cut a roof using 45° angles to create the pitch.
- Step 2: Sand then paint or stain your mini houses. If you want a distressed or worn look sand edges after painting/staining. Add wax to bring out distress markings.
- Step 3: Accessorize your mini houses and build a collection to display as a village. Optional accents include adding twine, yarn, or ribbon, farmhouse beads, fake floral or greenery, stencils, decals, or stickers, door/window, &/or a copper chimney.
