Christmas Craft Idea: Santa Ornaments

Bring a holly-jolly personal touch to your Christmas tree and holiday gift bags with these adorable Santa ornaments.

How to Make the Santa Ornament

Materials

• Wooden clothespins (sold in craft stores)
• Shoebox
• Fine grain sandpaper
• Acrylic paint: black, white, red, and flesh tone
• Glistening Snow-Tex Glitter Snow (if desired, sold in craft stores near the paints)
• Clear gloss varnish (sealer)
• 18 or 20 gauge sterling silver wire
• Jingle bells
• Silver star wire garland

Tools

• Paintbrush(es)
• Toothpicks
• Cotton swabs

Directions

1. Use fine-grain sandpaper to smooth rough edges on clothespins. Paint ball and one side of clothespin white, as shown below. Depending on the type of paint, you may need two coats. Set clothespins on shoebox to dry. Paint remainder of clothespin red. Let dry. Paint a small flesh-toned oval over the white section, as shown below. This will be Santa’s face. Let dry.



Tip: Practice first on a piece of paper, or use a pencil to draw the features on the clothespins before painting the face.

2. For eyes: Dip toothpick tip into black paint, and place two small dots for Santa’s eyes. Let dry. Dip reverse side of toothpick in white paint, and add smaller white dots in the center of each black dot, then add two vertical lines above the eyes for eyebrows. For mouth: Mix a dab of red paint with a smaller dab of white paint for a dark pink. With a small paintbrush or cotton swab, add a small oval under Santa’s eyes. For cheeks: Add another dab of white paint to lighten pink mixture used for Santa’s mouth. Using small paintbrush or cotton swab, add small circles under Santa’s eyes and above the mouth (it’s OK if they touch in the center).



3. With cotton swab or small brush add dabs of white paint around top of face (this will be the fur brim for Santa’s hat). Then paint a mustache over the top of Santa’s mouth. Let dry. Cover entire clothespin with gloss varnish to seal. Let dry.



4. For Santa’s beard: There are many options to create a white-as-snow beard for Santa. You can leave the beard as is, add thick dabs of white paint, or even glue cotton to the clothespin. I like using Glistening Snow-Tex Glitter Snow. Just apply “snow” to bottom of clothespin under mouth.



5. Cut about 12″ of 18 or 20 gauge sterling silver wire. String one jingle bell onto wire and twist wire to hold bell in place. Curl wire around paintbrush or pencil to create spiral design. Wrap both ends of wire around base of clothespin ball. (Don’t worry if it looks sloppy; we are going to cover it!) Cut 12″ to 18″ of star garland, wrap around paintbrush or pencil. Wrap star garland around base of clothespin ball to cover the sterling silver wire.



Santa is ready to decorate the tree or dress up a festive gift bag. Ho ho ho!