How to: make your own Swiss Chalet Christmas decoration

I'm delighted to hand over to Clare at Pretty Green for this really nice how to - follow the step by step instructions and print out the pattern below to make your own unique decoration piece.

Start by printing out the pattern on two pages (you can get the full size by clicking on each individual jpeg on the post below):

You will need:

Recycled card (a cereal box or corrugated card)
Thick thread or wool
Festive ribbon
Darning needle
Push pin
Scissors or craft knife

Cut around each pattern piece and attach with masking tape to the back of your card.

With a needle or push pin, make holes through your card on each of the dots on the pattern. It helps to put some blu-tack under the card so you can push all the way through, or use a cutting board.

Cut out the pattern pieces and the black areas in the windows. Using a craft knife or a pair of scissors, gently score down all the dashed lines (as below).

Fold up the sides of the house

Glue the shutters slightly overlapping the sides of the square windows and fix the door under the circular window. It you want to paint or decorate the house, do it now before you start securing it
Thread the needle and tie a knot at the end of the wool. Push through one of the bottom holes you made on the walls of the house, then go back in through the bottom hole on the neighbouring wall.

Continue going up the sides of the house in a criss-cross pattern. When you get to the top, cut the thread and tie another knot - but if you find this too fiddly, you can always secure with tape. Then do the same on all three remaining sides (you are essentially "stitching" the chalet up!)

Sew along the holes in the middle of the roof, leaving a loop of thread on the outside to give a gabled feel.

Do the same on the edges of the roof, but make the gable effect fall down on the inside of the roof.

Fold up the roof support into a triangular prism, cover the little tab with glue and tape up.

Bend the roof piece along the dashed line and glue or tape the roof support in the arch to strengthen the house and allow it to keep its shape.

Pull a piece of ribbon into the inside of the roof through one of the holes on the top, and pull it through the inside of the house and out through one of the holes in the base.

Go back into the house through the other base hole and finally come up through the other hole in the roof. It can be tricky to get the ribbon through the small holes, so you can always tie some thinner thread to the ribbon and use this to draw it through.

Push the roof onto the house and, leaving enough ribbon to pull the roof up and get little hands in, tie a bow with the two ends of the thread.

Finally, fill the chalet with treats and hang proudly on your tree!