Because they are essential to a holiday village decoration, Christmas village houses are usually the pieces around which collectors build their set-up.
Styles of Village Houses
Often the first pieces purchased, the house will determine the style of the Christmas village. Houses come in almost every style imaginable:
- Colonial America
- Victorian English/American
- Country/rural
- Cityscapes
- North Pole/Santa fantasy
- Trademark-themed, such as John Deere, Care Bears, Coca-Cola, and so on
- Ski-lodge/mountain theme
While a house or two may be actual residential homes, other types of buildings often fall into the category. The term "village houses" often refers to businesses, churches, and outbuildings, such as barns, when searching for a particular structure.
The style of the house may also refer to its construction. Village houses can be made of plastic, ceramic, porcelain, or even wood. Many popular village collections carry lines of lighted and/or animated houses that add a sense of magic to the Christmas village display.
Christmas village houses might be received as a gift, or people may go in search of a particular kind of house for their village. Brands such as Lemax and Department 56 have several lines of Christmas villages with a house to suit anyone's fancy.
Painting Christmas Village Houses
Those who enjoy painting or crafts might find building a village themselves to be worthwhile project that can be done any time of the year. Skilled woodworkers or sculptors can create an entire village in their free time, adding new pieces each year. For the less crafty people who still want to indulge their creative side, painting village houses is an artful way to make their own Christmas decorations.
Local hobby stores such as Hobby Lobby or Michaels may carry unfinished houses and supplies during the holiday season. Ordering supplies online year-round is another option, especially for those who have a busy seasonal schedule. Shop these retailers for houses and supplies:
- Sunshine Creations by Barbara: Purchase village houses out of ceramics and bisqueware ready for painting. Also available finished.
- Dolly and Ernie Ceramics: Unfinished bisque pieces, ranging from general stores to brick homes to barns to log cabins. This site has a large selection of pieces.
Paints, brushes, and even tips on finishing pieces are also available on many of the websites listed above. Local art supply stores may also be able to provide information on finishing pieces if a person runs into any difficulty.
Buy Village Houses
The "artistically challenged", or those who simply do not have the time or desire, will want to purchase Christmas village houses that are completely finished. Buying directly from the retailer is one way to do so. A number of other outlets also sell houses. Some department stores focus on one line of village houses, while others have a large selection of various brands. Visit these sites to find village houses:
During the holiday season, big department stores like Kohls and Dillards often have a selection of Christmas houses for villages.
Because it can be fairly expensive to make an entire set, it is important to find the best price. Shopping Christmas clearance sales are one way to do so. Another is to keep eyes open year round, searching garage sales, online auction sites, and classified listings. Comparison websites, such as the ones that follow, make it easy to find the best deal for the Christmas village house online:
Enter the specific piece name (and date, if applicable), or simply do a generic search for holiday village houses. Ratings and reviews of the product and sellers are on some sites, so it is worthwhile to take the time and do a search.
Holiday houses are a great way to set off a Christmas village display. Pick up just one or two homes, along with a few village accessories, and you'll have a wonderful holiday decoration.
