Christmas Crafts – Clothespin Santa

Materials: Craft Picks Ruler Pencil Scissors Sandpaper 2 1/2″ Wooden Clothespin White Glue Paper Plate Embroidery Floss-Red, White Batting Fine Line Markers-Black, Red Tiny Wiggle Eyes (Optional) Acrylic Paint-White, Black, Gold Toothpicks Tape Small Paint Brush Pin Back (Optional) Fabric Scrap (Optional)Instructions: 1.Use the ruler and pencil to mark off 1″ of the rounded end of two craft picks to make the arms for the Santa. Cut the marked off section of the craft picks with the scissors. Use the sandpaper to smooth and even out the cut ends of the craft picks. Be sure the two craft pick pieces are the same length after you have sanded them. Also, use the sandpaper to smooth any rough edges on the clothespin.

2.Pour a small amount of the white glue onto the paper plate. Use one of the craft pick scraps to spread a small amount of glue on the outside of one of the prongs of the clothespin to one half inch above the end of the prong. Wrap the glued section of the prong with the red floss. Be sure the beginning and ending floss is to the back of the Santa. Repeat with the other prong.

Apply more glue to the prongs, one at a time below the section of red floss for one fourth of an inch and wrap this part of the prongs with the white floss. Be sure the beginning and ending ends of the floss are securely attached to the same side of the Santa. Use one of the craft pick scraps again to place a small puddle of glue in the center of the clothespin just above the narrowed middle of the clothespin. Place a rounded ball of the batting in the puddle of glue and set the Santa aside to dry.

3.To do the arms for the Santa, spread a small amount of glue on the cut off pieces of craft pick and wrap them with the red floss to about a fourth of an inch above the rounded end. Glue a small amount of the white floss over the end of the red floss, being sure to not cover the rounded ends of the craft picks as they are the hands of the Santa. Be sure the beginning and ending ends of the floss are securely attached to the back of the arms. Set the arms aside to dry.

4.After the Santa has dried, apply glue to the back of the Santa and wrap red floss around the top of the clothespin. It may take some patience to be sure the batting is completely covered with the floss. Trim the bottom of the red floss with several rows of the white floss to be the decoration on the bottom of Santa’s jacket. Glue the arms in place on the sides of the Santa just below the head. More of the red floss can be wound around the top of the arms, if desired. Set Santa aside to dry.

5.Use the fine line markers to paint a face on the Santa. Tiny wiggle eyes can be glued to the face with the toothpick, if desired for the eyes too. Dip the end of a toothpick in the white paint and dot over each eye for eyebrows and paint in a small mustache.

6.Wrap two whole craft picks with white floss and wet them completely with water and set them aside to dry. When the floss has dried, unwind them from the craft picks. Glue one piece of the curled floss by the ends to the bottom of the face for the beard and the other to the top and sides of the head for the hair.

7.Knot three small pieces of the white floss to make two buttons for Santa’s jacket and a top decoration for the hat for the Santa doll. Use a toothpick to glue the buttons to the front of Santa’s jacket. To make the hat for Santa, cut six eight inch single strands of the red floss and tie them together at one end. Tape down the tied end of the floss to a flat surface and then braid the strands of floss into a tight four inch braid. Tie off the end of the braided floss. Glue the braided floss in a spiral around the top of the Santa’s head and tuck the ends of the braid under the finished hat. Be sure the hat is  securely glued to Santa’s head. Use a toothpick and a small amount of glue to attach the last piece of knotted white floss to the top of Santa’s hat.

8.Use the paint brush to paint the ends of the prongs black and let dry. A small dot of gold paint on the end of a toothpick can be used to make gold dots on Santa’s shoes for buckles, if desired.

9.To make the doll into a pin, securely glue a pin back to the back of the completed doll. A small scrap of fabric glued over the bottom of the pin back will help keep it in place from the stress of normal wear and tear. A marker can be used to color the fabric scrap so it won’t be as noticeable, if desired.