To ensure that a house will hang evenly, first balance it on a pencil point underneath the roof ridge. Mark the balance point, and use a pin to poke a hole 1/8-inch to either side of it along the ridge line. Insert each end of a 3-inch length of 20-gauge annealed wire, folded into a U shape, into the holes from above. Using pliers, twist the ends of the wire underneath. Cut a piece of cardboard 1/4 inch larger than the base of the house on all sides. Prime and paint as described here. Run a bead of glue around the house's base, and center the cardboard.

You need not confine the houses to a strictly defined "village." Reduced in scale, they populate the tree or the mantelshelf with equal charm. Candles on the mantel or strings of lights on the tree are the best sources for the subdued illumination that sets the houses aglow with delicate reflections.

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