There’ll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow. Wait…that can’t be right—it’s July. Oh, this must be a Christmas-in-July craft! Well, I hope you’re ready to get into the Christmas spirit, even in 100° weather, because today I am sharing a festive Christmas village train station that I think you’re going to love.
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Christmas Village Train Station
Materials
- Cardstock
- Vellum
- Dura-Lar Film
- Hot Glue
- Precision Craft Glue or a Glue Stick
- A Lolipop Stick
- Thin Chain or String
- Bone Folder optional
- A Cutting Machine or X-ACTO knife
- My Free Template
Instructions
- Use your cutting machine or X-ACTO knife, along with my template, to cut out all of your Christmas Village train station pieces.Note: If you are using the SVG files that includes the score lines, don’t forget to set them as such in Cricut Design Space and attach them to their shapes before sending them through your cutting machine. I used a lime green color to mark the score lines, so hopefully that helps! If you’re having trouble with the score lines, check out this video.
Layering the Decorative Pieces
- Start by layering the decorative pieces of the building together. Glue the vellum and Dura-Lar film window pieces to the inside and the rest of the decorative pieces to the outside, like so.Take your two main building pieces and fold along the score lines. Connect them together where the left side and front walls meet.
Assembing the Building
- Gather your balcony floor section and your railing piece. Fold the railing along the score lines. Attach the bottom tabs of the railing to the underside of the balcony floor. Then, slip the two tabs of the balcony floor into the slits in the center/front of the building and glue them down.Take the front, bottom part of the building and fold along the score lines. Starting on one side and working your way across, attach one of the tunnels to the tabs on the front of the building. Then, attach the hexagonal window section by gluing the tabs to the underside of the balcony. Finish by attaching the last tunnel wall.
- Fold the roof piece along the score lines. Use the tabs to attach the roof to the top of the building.Next, attach the back wall.
Assembling the Base
- To assemble the base, start by attaching the back strip to the main base piece and gluing the tabs to the side walls. Then, attach the little tabs on the opposite ends of the side walls along the curved edges on the base.Take the rectangular piece with a slit in it and attach it to the tabs on the two side walls.
- Gather your four, large Christmas tree pieces and your lollipop stick. Use hot glue to attach the lollipop stick to one of the tree pieces. Then, attach another tree piece to the other side—sandwiching the lollipop in between.Fold the remaining two tree pieces in half, lengthwise. Add some glue to the outside of the folded edge of your tree piece and attach it to the center of one of the trees already attached to the lollipop stick. Repeat on the opposite side.Take one of your white, circular pieces and attach the train tracks. Push the bottom of the lollipop stick through the hole in the center and glue the base of the tree down.
- Push the lollipop stick through the hole in the top of the base. Trim your lollipop stick down to size, and attach it to the other circular piece, underneath the base (using a generous amount of hot glue).Note: I didn’t initially include a hole in the second circular piece, but I went back and added one later on. I think that being able to slip the lollipop stick through one more piece of paper will help add a little bit more stability, and give your the added benefit of being able to use hot glue on both sides of the circular piece to keep it in place. Just make sure that the lollipop stick doesn’t poke through very much.Insert the little tabs on the bottom of the building into the slits in the base. Glue them down. You can also attach the half-circle snow piece to the top of the base at this time.Finish up the base by taking the last large, grey piece and folding along the score lines. Attach it inside of the base to act as a shelf (to balance the wheel). Only glue the sides, not the top (so that the wheel can turn freely).
Assembling the Train
- Take your four, black train pieces and fold along the score lines. They are slightly different sizes, but each one will fold into a box shape when you attach the tabs to the inside walls.The largest box will be the train engine, the two medium-sized boxes will be the passenger cars, and the small box with an open top will be a cargo car.Attach the decorative pieces to the front and back sides of the train cars, like so. Then, cut three small pieces of chain, or string, and hot glue them to the cars in order to connect them all together.Use the bottom tabs of the train car boxes to attach the whole train to the tracks.
Finishing Touches
- Layer together your 6 wreaths, 2 potted bushes, and 7 trees. For the trees, use the same folding technique used on the large tree inside of the building. 5 of the trees will only be “half-trees,” consisting of two tree pieces each, and are intended to go on the outside of the building. The other 2 trees consist of three tree pieces each and are intended to go on the inside of the cargo car of the train.Add your decorative snow pieces along the sides of the base and on the roof, and the rest of your decorative foliage all around your building. Your festive train station is complete!
Notes
View the full-size tutorial photos below.
Supplies
- Cardstock
- Vellum
- Dura-Lar Film
- Hot Glue
- Precision Craft Glue or a Glue Stick
- A Lolipop Stick
- Thin Chain or String
- Bone Folder (optional)
- A Cutting Machine or X-ACTO knife
- My Free Template
How to Make It
1. Use your cutting machine or X-ACTO knife, along with my template, to cut out all of your Christmas Village train station pieces.
Note: If you are using the SVG files that includes the score lines, don’t forget to set them as such in Cricut Design Space and attach them to their shapes before sending them through your cutting machine. I used a lime green color to mark the score lines, so hopefully that helps! If you’re having trouble with the score lines, check out this video.
Layering the Decorative Pieces
2. Start by layering the decorative pieces of the building together. Glue the vellum and Dura-Lar film window pieces to the inside and the rest of the decorative pieces to the outside, like so.
Take your two main building pieces and fold along the score lines. Connect them together where the left side and front walls meet.
Assembling the Building
3. Gather your balcony floor section and your railing piece. Fold the railing along the score lines.
Attach the bottom tabs of the railing to the underside of the balcony floor. Then, slip the two tabs of the balcony floor into the slits in the center/front of the building and glue them down.
Take the front, bottom part of the building and fold along the score lines. Starting on one side and working your way across, attach one of the tunnels to the tabs on the front of the building. Then, attach the hexagonal window section by gluing the tabs to the underside of the balcony. Finish by attaching the last tunnel wall.
4. Fold the roof piece along the score lines. Use the tabs to attach the roof to the top of the building.
Next, attach the back wall.
Assembling the Base
5. To assemble the base, start by attaching the back strip to the main base piece and gluing the tabs to the side walls. Then, attach the little tabs on the opposite ends of the side walls along the curved edges on the base.
Take the rectangular piece with a slit in it and attach it to the tabs on the two side walls.
6. Gather your four, large Christmas tree pieces and your lollipop stick. Use hot glue to attach the lollipop stick to one of the tree pieces. Then, attach another tree piece to the other side—sandwiching the lollipop in between.
Fold the remaining two tree pieces in half, lengthwise. Add some glue to the outside of the folded edge of your tree piece and attach it to the center of one of the trees already attached to the lollipop stick. Repeat on the opposite side.
Take one of your white, circular pieces and attach the train tracks. Push the bottom of the lollipop stick through the hole in the center and glue the base of the tree down.
7. Push the lollipop stick through the hole in the top of the base. Trim your lollipop stick down to size, and attach it to the other circular piece, underneath the base (using a generous amount of hot glue).
Note: I didn’t initially include a hole in the second circular piece, but I went back and added one later on. I think that being able to slip the lollipop stick through one more piece of paper will help add a little bit more stability, and give your the added benefit of being able to use hot glue on both sides of the circular piece to keep it in place. Just make sure that the lollipop stick doesn’t poke through very much.
Insert the little tabs on the bottom of the building into the slits in the base. Glue them down. You can also attach the half-circle snow piece to the top of the base at this time.
Finish up the base by taking the last large, grey piece and folding along the score lines. Attach it inside of the base to act as a shelf (to balance the wheel). Only glue the sides, not the top (so that the wheel can turn freely).
Assembling the Train
8. Take your four, black train pieces and fold along the score lines. They are slightly different sizes, but each one will fold into a box shape when you attach the tabs to the inside walls.
The largest box will be the train engine, the two medium-sized boxes will be the passenger cars, and the small box with an open top will be a cargo car.
Attach the decorative pieces to the front and back sides of the train cars, like so. Then, cut three small pieces of chain, or string, and hot glue them to the cars in order to connect them all together.
Use the bottom tabs of the train car boxes to attach the whole train to the tracks.
Finishing Touches
9. Layer together your 6 wreaths, 2 potted bushes, and 7 trees. For the trees, use the same folding technique used on the large tree inside of the building. 5 of the trees will only be “half-trees,” consisting of two tree pieces each, and are intended to go on the outside of the building. The other 2 trees consist of three tree pieces each and are intended to go on the inside of the cargo car of the train.
Add your decorative snow pieces along the sides of the base and on the roof, and the rest of your decorative foliage all around your building. Your festive train station is complete!
I have had quite a few people ask me to do a “Christmas-in-July” design, so I thought it was about time to give the people what they want! And what says “Christmas” more than a new addition to my Christmas village set? A set that now consists of:
I have considered doing a train-related design for my Christmas village before, but I wasn’t sure exactly how I wanted to execute it. When I had the idea to incorporate the train station building as well, I thought that it would fit with the rest of my village nicely. But I didn’t want the train to be static. That’s why I decided to use borrow the rotating wheel idea from my koi pond project and incorporate it into this design!
I love making the train go through the tunnel and watching it come out the other side! And I think it’s extra fun that the tree inside the building turns along with it.
I use Adobe Illustrator for all my designs, and a Cricut Maker to bring my creations to life. For tips on creating fun paper cuts like this one, see the FAQ section on my website. Also, be sure to check out the other fun freebies available on my blog!
Enjoy making this Christmas Village train station for yourself! And, as always, be sure to share your finished results with me on Instagram.
*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking through my links to make a purchase, you are supporting this blog and the hard work that goes into providing free, quality designs.
Mandee is a professional graphic designer, amateur bird watcher, and rollercoaster enthusiast. She is a wife to hardworking high school teacher and mommy to three adorable little humans. She fell in love with graphic design when she started working on a comedy website with a guy she met her freshman year of college. Design wasn’t the only thing she fell in love with, and they were married a year and a half later. She created Designs By Miss Mandee to be a place where she could merge her passion for design with her lifelong love of crafting. 12 Comments on Christmas Village Train Station – 3D Cut File
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Catherine
July 20, 2023 at 6:09 am (5 months ago)Waouhhhhhhh, splendide, merci beaucoup :-))
Mandee
July 20, 2023 at 12:19 pm (5 months ago)Thanks Catherine!
Gail
July 20, 2023 at 6:44 am (5 months ago)All I can say is WOW.
Thank you so much, what a great Christmas file. Love your files. You are a gem to give away so many free files. I really appreciate your work.
Mandee
July 20, 2023 at 12:20 pm (5 months ago)Aww, thanks Gail! I’m so glad you enjoy my designs. ☺️
auntie em
July 20, 2023 at 8:08 am (5 months ago)Not only is this the sweetest little train station ever but it moves! Amazing!!!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Mandee
July 20, 2023 at 12:20 pm (5 months ago)I’m glad that you appreciate the train movement! I am pretty proud of that detail. 💕
Helen J Roberts
July 20, 2023 at 8:42 am (5 months ago)*squeals of delight* (Clapping of hands and bouncing up and down). You have outdone yourself with this one! From the clock on the front to the trees surrounding the building, I love this! Can’t wait to add this to my Christmas village.
Mandee
July 20, 2023 at 12:21 pm (5 months ago)Yay! I’m so glad that you are excited about this one Helen!! Have fun putting it together. ☺️
Mary
July 21, 2023 at 5:57 am (5 months ago)Thank you so much for another gorgeous file. You are so generous!
Mandee
July 27, 2023 at 11:21 am (4 months ago)You are very welcome Mary! I’m so glad you like it. ☺️
Denise S.
August 3, 2023 at 9:21 am (4 months ago)Another home run, Miss Mandee!!! I can’t wait to start working on my train station. One question . . . Where did you find the awesome paper you used for the roof and base? I’m hoping that I don’t have to settle for plain black for my project. Thanks in advance.
Mandee
August 3, 2023 at 1:42 pm (4 months ago)Thank you Denise!! I believe I bought that textured paper at Hobby Lobby last year. I couldn’t find it on their website, but if you have a store close by, that would be your best bet! I was lucky that I had some left over from a pervious project, because I worked really well for this design.