How to Make a Milkweed Pod Santa Ornament

Get outside and back to nature as you gather the supplies for this milkweed pod Santa ornament. Milkweed pods naturally split open and dry beautifully outdoors, so they are craft ready when gathered. Take the family on a nature hike and make a game of finding the pods. Don't let the fun stop there. Back home, enjoy an afternoon of creating a batch of these milkweed pod Santa ornaments as a family activity. Most of the supplies for this project are things you probably already have, making this a very inexpensive craft project.

Things You'll Need

• Milkweed pod half
• Red acrylic paint
• Peach acrylic paint
• Black acrylic paint
• Pink acrylic paint
• Texture snow medium
• White crystal glitter
• Wood skewer
• Paint brush
• Cotton swab
• Tapestry needle
• 1/8-inch wide red ribbon
• Small amount of water
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Paint the entire front of the milkweed pod using the red acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry. Milkweed pods will soak up the paint so apply a second coat if needed.

2. Paint a 1-inch diameter circle using the peach acrylic paint, just below the middle of the milkweed pod. Allow the paint to dry.

3. Dip the blunt end of the wood skewer into the red acrylic paint and dot a nose in the center of the peach circle. Allow the paint to dry.

4. Dip the blunt end of the wood skewer into the black acrylic paint and dot the eyes above the nose. Allow the paint to dry.

5. Dip the cotton swab into the pink acrylic paint and dab the cheeks. Allow the paint to dry.

6. Mix a small amount of the texture snow medium with a few drops of water to thin. Paint and dab the texture snow an inch above the milkweed pod Santa ornament's eyes. Continue to paint and dab everything below this point, leaving an unpainted opening for the face. Dab a dollop of texture snow on the top peak of the milkweed pod for the pompom on Santa's hat.

7. Sprinkle the texture snow on the milkweed pod Santa ornament, with the white crystal glitter. Allow the texture snow to dry.

8. Poke a hole in the milkweed pod, a half inch below the milkweed pod's peak, using the tapestry needle. Cut an 8-inch piece of the red ribbon. Thread the ribbon onto the tapestry needle and insert it into the hole on the milkweed pod. Tie the ends of the ribbon together using an overhand knot.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't sweat the small stuff on these milkweed pods. The imperfections are what make these Santa ornaments so appealing.

• If you have thinned the texture snow too much, just add more snow.