How to Make a Cinnamon Stick Santa

Cinnamon Santas can be wholly or partially painted. The more paint that is on them, the less they will smell like cinnamon.

Cinnamon stick Santas are a fun, aromatic way to decorate your tree. These clever little spice ornaments can be decorated with different facial expressions and styles of beards, hats and even different colored eyes. They also make good garnishes for wrapped presents or look sweet when tied around the middle of a vase of flowers as a teacher or good-neighbor gift.

Things You'll Need

• Textured white paint (also called snow paint)
• Black acrylic paint
• Red acrylic paint
• Flesh colored paint
• Cinnamon stick
• Paintbrush
• Hot glue gun
• Thin red ribbon

Instructions

1. Paint the top of the cinnamon stick red, the middle flesh colored and the bottom with the white textured paint. The red should go entirely around the stick, whereas the flesh tone can be face shaped--rounded at the bottom--and only one one side, which will become the front. The white paint will be the beard and the back of the Santa's head. You can extend the beard down the entire length of the stick or have it trail off partway down.

2. Allow the paint to dry completely. This may take 30 to 90 minutes. The paint must be completely dry before you can add details. Keep the Santa in a warm, dry place as it dries.

3. Add facial and clothing details. Give the Santa small black dots for eyes, a red dot for a nose and a black line smile. It also needs a mustache and white "fur" trim (textured paint) on the top of the hat and around the hat brim.

4. Let the Santa dry for 24 hours to ensure that everything is completely set and will not smear. Keep the ornament in a warm dry place out of reach of pets and small children.

5. Glue a loop of ribbon to the back of the ornament. Use plenty of glue to make sure that it is fastened securely. Once the glue is set, then you are ready to hang your ornament on the tree or give it as a gift.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use glitter glue to accent the ornament.

• Be careful with the glue gun, as hot glue can cause serious burns.