How To Make A Modern DIY Christmas Village
Learn how I made this designer-inspired DIY Modern Christmas Village out of plywood and joint compound!
I’ve always wanted a Christmas village!
I found the cutest sets online but they were all ceramic and upwards of $150. Yikes!
So I had the crazy thought that I could make my own village out of plywood and find some magical way to make the houses look like ceramic.
Easy, right?
It actually was! Keep reading for all of the details.
Material List for Modern DIY Christmas Village
- 1/4″ plywood
- Jigsaw
- Tape Measure or Square
- Wood Glue
- Clamps
- Joint Compound
- Small Paint Brush
- Sanding Block
- Triple Thick Crystal Clear Glaze
Step 1: Measure and cut pieces from plywood
I decided to totally wing this part!
I found a few houses online that I really liked and sketched something similar on the plywood.
I cut 4 pieces for each house, assembled them and then took measurements for the roof.
TIP: Cut out all of the inside pieces (windows, doors, etc.) while the wood is still attached to the main board. It’s so much easier than trying to cut them out after you cut the sides…I learned that lesson the hard way.
Step 2: Assemble the houses
I used wood glue and clamps to assemble each house.
Because the pieces are so lightweight and small, it took a few times to get everything to line up correctly!
I let them dry for several hours before moving on to the next step.
Step 3: Apply Joint Compound
I used a paint brush to liberally apply joint compound all over each house.
I attempted to apply it as smooth as possible since I was going for a ceramic look!
Step 4: Sand each house well
I used this sanding block to smooth the joint compound and I love how small it is.
It was perfect for these little Christmas houses!
Step 5: Apply Triple Thick Crystal Clear Glaze
I can’t believe how well this glaze worked!
I was skeptical at first but it totally gave the houses a ceramic look.
I did 3 coats of the glaze and allowed 2-3 minutes of drying time between each coat.
And there ya have it! A DIY wooden Christmas village that looks like ceramic.
I added these cute little lights to bring in some extra Christmas magic.
Be sure to check out my DIY Christmas Village highlight on Instagram for more info!
Merry Christmas!
