I needed to buy miniature bottlebrush Christmas trees in bulk for an upcoming project involving our putz houses. So, I shopped around Amazon and ended up buying three different options to test and report on. Note: I have Prime, and all shipping was free for these particular orders. Which set did I prefer?:
Here’s my test >>
To enlarge the photo, wait for the page to load, then click on the photo to enlarge on screen, hit the “back” button to return to the story:
So that’s Retro Renovation playing the role of Consumer Reports for a day! Other amazon research / finds for miniature projects:
Go Kitschmas Krafty Krazee!:
- To see all our stories on using small trees like this — in putz houses, wreaths, dioramas, etc — see our Holiday category here.
Melanie Strohecker says
Thank you so much! I had just been looking at these.
Pam Kueber says
You’re welcome! Way cheaper buying them this way then in small packs in stores!
Julie says
Don you have any sources for miniature wreaths? I’m having trouble finding ones small enough for these little houses.
Pam Kueber says
The ones I see online on Amazon don’t look very exciting, but you can try: https://amzn.to/2T8xz3K
Here’s a satisfying way I found to make my own:
1) Start with tinsel garland — I used vintage, it has to be ‘sewn’ down the middle
2) Start trimming along the sew lines so that the whole thing becomes thin enough to transform into a wreath
3) Cut to size, then use a glue gun to secure into a wreath shape
4) I repeated this, slightly larger profile, and put another layer underneath for fullness
5) Find three little beads or round whatevers and glue them on the front
Pam Kueber says
Here’s the wreath hot glued in place on a house I made: https://retrorenovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/midcentury-putz-house-8.jpg
Pam Kueber says
Oh, and as you can see, I used the cut-off pieces of the tinsel garland on the roof — my homage to dreaded pine needles.
Julie says
Thank you I will try this!
Phyllis says
I am obsessed. OBSESSED. With bottle brush trees. Thank you.
Pam Kueber says
Yes. Me too. So easily obsessed and this year, it’s putz houses! I just dropped $69.99 at Michaels on floral sprays to cut apart, a few floral picks, and 21 tea lights. Even with all my coupons, still $70!
Phyllis says
LOL…Adding: this is a good time of year to hit TJ Maxx and Homegoods, JoAnn etc for tall bottle brush trees in sizes from 10- 20 inches. These sell out pretty quickly but are available every year. I’ve seen them in all colors both decorated and plain. I found two last week at my local TJ Maxx for $9.99 each.
Palm Springs Stephan says
Why are these called “putz” houses? Did I miss something along the way? Putz is a Yiddish word with a vulgar meaning that has nothing to do with houses….
Pam Kueber says
Hi PSS, here’s my story from 2012 on the etymology of the use of the word: https://retrorenovation.com/2012/12/11/vintage-putz-houses-a-history-and-online-guide/
Every year, I get two or three comments like yours. I know. I refuse to let our darling little putz houses get co-opted by later linguistic shenanigans.
Tarquin says
Putz means plaster in Getman. Putzen is to clean/decorate. It is a German word that has morphed and scattered over the years. In this case, it is Movarian. The Movarian people create the story of Jesus’ birth on a platform. This is called a putz. At Christmas time, they would go putzing around their neighborhood checking out other putz creations. This is still a big tradition with the Movarians in Bethlehem, Pennslyvania.
Pam Kueber says
This word may be one with the most meanings ever!
Tarquin says
Hahaha. I think you are right. Lol!
Amber says
In retrospect, I think this is why we never called these putz’ houses in my family, and why I never heard it until much later. We all knew the yiddish word putz so these were just ‘christmas villages’ and ‘christmas miniatures’.
Tarquin says
I think the Kuuqa looks best. They have just the right amount of snow sprinkled on them and I think in photos they would look the most realistic. Can’t wait to see your new putz houses when they are finished.
Pam Kueber says
Honestly, I can’t tell any of them apart once they are all equally fluffed up!
Tarquin says
It’s difficult to buy things online based on a photo. You saved a lot of readers time by doing a test like this one. If you had the time, you could set up a website teaching people how to create miniature homes and landscapes. I would read that everyday.
Joan S. says
Miss Pam, they are probably all made at the same factory in China and then purchased in super bulk by various distributors, who have their own quality checking or not! Thank you for your homework.
lynda says
So nice of you to share this information with us. You should review them on Amazon.