Learn How to Make a Paper Church Christmas Village with This Free Cricut Template and Tutorial
Looking for a Christmas craft to display in your house this season? Well, this Christmas church is meant to be displayed and pairs great with the Christmas village collection. It measures 5.5" across and comes with a steeple piece and a festive wreath with an adorable bow.
This Christmas Church is one of the four Christmas village designs, which includes a house, condo, and farmhouse.
This holiday village includes a farmhouse, condo, church, house, trees, and a park bench. Each project has its own blog post to walk you through the construction of each item.
This design has cutouts for tissue or translucent foil paper to put behind the window cutouts and illuminates LED lights.
I teamed up with JOANN to bring you this tutorial and help you find all of the supplies you'll need for this project. JOANN is my one-stop-shop for all of my sewing needs.
What Type of Paper Should I Use?
I recommend using sturdier cardstock such as 80lbs for the base of the building. Using this weight of cardstock will hold the structure of the building instead of letting it tip over. For the details, you don't necessarily need to use heavier cardstock. Instead, use lightweight cardstock such as 65lbs.
I used glitter cardstock for the base of the church. When using textured cardstock, it can be harder to see where the score lines are. To make them visible, place your cardstock face down on the mat, tape it into place, and mirror the image in Design Space before cutting.
How Much Paper Do I Need?
Church Pieces: 2 Pieces of 12 x 12" Cardstock
Roof Pieces: 1 Piece of 12 x 12" Cardstock
Details (Door & Window Trims): 1 Piece of 12 x 12" Cardstock
Wreath: 1 Piece of 12 x 12" or 8.5 x 11" Cardstock
Supplies Needed:
- Cricut Maker, Cricut Explore, or Other Cutting Machine
- StandardGrip Mat
- Cardstock 65-80 lbs
- Fine-Point Blade
- Vellum
- Scraper Tool
- Scoring Wheel Tip & Housing or Scoring Stylus
- LED Candles
- Hot Glue or Craft Glue
Table of Contents
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE SVG FILES
Upload Christmas Church SVG File
Before making this Christmas craft, we need to upload the SVG file to Cricut Design Space.
After downloading the SVG file, Create A New Project and click Upload.
Once uploaded to your canvas, change some of the cut lines into score lines by clicking on a line (if the line's fill color is red- it's a score line) and changing the operation from Basic Cut into Score in the top left corner of Design Space.
Attach the score lines to their respective pieces in the bottom right panel.
Step One: Cutout All Christmas Church Pieces
Load your mat with cardstock into your cutting machine and cut out all church pieces switching between the fine-point blade and scoring wheels.
Christmas Paper Church Consists Of:
2 Building Pieces
1 Steeple Piece
2 Steeple Roof Pieces
1 Roof Piece
4 Extra Church (Foil or Tissue Paper) Cutouts
14 Window Trims
1 Door
2 Wreath Pieces & 1 Bow
Step Two: Fold Christmas Church Pieces
Start by folding all pieces with score lines. Everything but the window trims have score lines.
Step Three: Add Details
After folding, glue window trims to window cutouts, and then apply glue to the side tab of the door piece. Attach it to the underside of the entrance piece with the door facing inward.
(Optional): Glue on Extra Cutouts
You don't have to use the extra cutouts, but if you're going to use LED lights to make this project shine, use a translucent material or tissue paper for the house cutouts behind the windows to illuminate the lights.
Align cutouts to their corresponding pieces and glue them into place.
Step Four: Assemble Church Pieces
To assemble the church, add the separate roof piece to the top. While doing so, make sure the square cutouts are aligned.
Next, take the two house pieces, apply glue to the side tabs and attach them to the adjoining sides. Fold the roof over the top four tabs and join it to the other side of the church.
Step Five: Assemble Steeple
While everything is drying, let's assemble the steeple structure. Apply glue to the side tab of the steeple piece and connect the sides together.
After making the steeple structure, we need to add the roof. Take the two triangular roof pieces and glue the one without tabs onto of the one that does.
Once dried, apply glue to the side tab and secure it to the other side of the piece. Then, glue the two bottom tabs of this roof piece to the inside of the steeple piece.
Tip: Use clips to keep the pieces in place while it dries.
Step Six: Add Steeple
The next step is to add the steeple to the church. To do this, take the assembled steeple and apply glue to the two bottom tabs. Then, adhere it to the underside of the square cutout. The tabs should be to the sides of the fold of the roof.
Step Seven: Add Final Detail
To finish this Christmas craft, take the two wreath pieces, glue them together, and place the bow on top. Then, place your wreath above the doorway, and with that final detail added, this paper Christmas Church is finished.
To display this, light it up with some twinkling lights and pair it with the rest of the Christmas village designs! I decided to surround the village with green and blue paper trees and a cute bench design, both of which are included in the collection, to give the village color.
Looking for more Christmas Village tutorials? Click here for the church, house, and condo.
Join my crafting Facebook group where you can show us what you’re making, ask questions, and learn from others!
Don’t want to forget about this free template? Save this project for later! Click here to save this project on Pinterest.
These are so beautiful, and so super cute! Thank you for sharing this with the world! Since I don’t have a cricket, would you have a template to share, to re-create these little buildings?
Thanks!!
Can’t wait to try this beautiful project!
Do you have a tutorial on how to use the cricut software??
I love it. I have always loved the Christmas villages and it would be even better to do it myself. Will be a must try for this year!
Very cute, we can't wait to make and finish this
So cute!
I used these as ideas but since I don’t have a cricut I made with out of cereal and cracker boxes. I just drew out the pattern on the box.
Looks difficult to do but so pretty!
This looks like a good project for my MIL, I've been trying to come up with something to keep her ocupied as she heals.
My daughter and I can't wait to make these soon. She's been going through all of my paper to see what she wants to use.
Awesome craft. Guess I need a cricut to get this made.
Very cute! Definitely plan to save this for when my son is older and we can build the whole Christmas village together!
This will make a great craft to do with my granddaughters.
Love these buildings and all the other svgs you have here. Thank you for sharing.
Cute!
Such a great tutorial. Thanks!
This is so beautiful! I love your ideas and have used them in the past. You patterns and tutorials are so easy to follow. Thank you for this Christmas decoration.
Change the color of paper and you have a spooky little halloween display! ;D
Lot of patience for all those little pieces!
What a cute and handy idea this is
Loves so pretty. Can’t wait to attempt this. I’ll ask my son if he wants to help. Looks like a fun project to do together.
Love the little church!! I don't have a Cricut machine, so a lot of the things you do I can't make. I appreciate the giveaway you're having now, too, so I actually have a chance to win one!!! 🙂 Thanks so much!!
It would be super cute to make a collection of these with the little fairy lights lighting them up. Reminds me of the pricey snow villages I've seen in the past.
Beautiful I love it, going to make it for my Sister as a Christmas gift, thanks for sharing !!
I can't wait to make this church. It's so cute!! Thank you so much for sharing this!!
My girls play dolls and this could be the dolls Christmas house.
The paper church looks great! I would want the whole village!
I love this. I haven't tried making paper models yet but might have to give this a go. Thank you for all your tutorials they are amazing
I just love the house and church. I would make these , but I need a cricut.
I just love the house and church. I would make these.
Great idea!
Cute
Cute!!
So cute! Would look perfect with my snow scenery in my fireplace.
These are just too adorable thanks for sharing the pattern love
Cute!!
These Christmas Village pieces remind of my mom’s cardboard church we put up every year a Christmas. Excited to try making one.
Great tutorial!
I love all of the craft inspiration given by this blog. Anytime I get in a crafting slump sweet red poppy is where I go for inspiration.
Can't wait to try this, love this so much
OMG! I can’t wait to make some of these with my daughter! So stinking cute!!
Beautiful! I think I’ll make mine with all different colored windows?
Beautiful project. Glad to see good ole paper projects are still around.
I'm so excited to start this project!
Wow! Those are super cute!!! Thanks so much for sharing! I love your stuff!
Love your easy to follow, detailed instructions! Cannot wait to try this at home and make my own Christmas village
Cute Xmas idea
what a great idea for a lightweight Christmas Village display
I love the whole village!
Great idea! Can’t wait to try!!
what a wonderful idea
Great project! Thank you for sharing.
This would be great to add to the little village we do with our train set.
This looks great
so cute
Awwww look how beautiful and cute!!!
I wonder if you can make paper or felt dolls for this
Will be making this
So cute, and great tutorial!! Thanks so much!
Cute - diy Christmas village that is personalized
This would be pretty with some greenery
I would use multiple colored light with this.
This is adorable!!!
These are beautiful. I can see this being a family DIY Christmas project to make a village.
I love this! Paper crafts are so much fun to make.
I need more hours in a day to make everything! I love this cute little church and have to make it for my village. Thank you!
I love these! Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
how cute is that always have such creative ideas
such fun
Seems like a lot of work.
The trees need some ornaments.
I love the trees actually!
This is adorable. Add to my TO DO list!
This is adorable I will have to make this
cute but time
What a beautiful project!
These are super cute! I don't have a cricut machine, but I'm going to attempt to make it anyway. It will go well with the little village I use when decorating for Christmas. Thank you so very much for sharing this
can't wait to make this
So cute!
Definitely need a Cricut machine for this project! I was pleased to be able to make simple rectangular Advent calendar boxes from scratch today.
This is so cute!!!
Cant wait to try this out!
If i make it out of thick cardstock could i use it for a doll Christmas Village. Any thoughts.
These are so adorable! Thank you so much for sharing how to make them! I will definitely be making them for the holidays this year!
Great craft!
I love how you can have your own village, all with your choices of color, etc. Terrific!
Very sweet idea. I know a lot of people that would love this.
Very cute!! Excited to start!
I have a love of Christmas villages since I was young..these houses will have a permanent place under my tree every year.
great tutorial!
Are there any other buildings to go with this?
So cute
Love this and just admire your creativity.
Love your creativity. Very cute project. I love Christmas Villages.
My Mom collects churches, so I can't wait to make her this! Thank You!
Fun thing to do with my daughters Thank you so much
Absolutely adorable! I'd love to make this with my granddaughter.
The church is the quintessential symbol for Christmas. This simple little church is a peaceful expression of love.
I love that you can add lights!
Fun
Can’t waitto make this!!!
It needs felt people
Everyone has to try one of these adorable houses.
My daughters and I can't wait to make these. They're going to look great!!
Oh, what a beautiful craft to do and how special it will be on my mantle
It’s amazing what paper and some glue can create!
This looks so cute and easy to make!