How to Make a Santa From a Shoe Box
Christmas decorations do not have to be expensive, elaborate or store-bought. They can be made from simple household materials. Shoe boxes can be recycled into Santa Claus table decorations with a little effort. Your shoebox Santa can become a pinata or be used as a gift box. Make a Santa that looks like you do by mixing paint colors. Use smaller or larger shoe boxes to make a variety of Santas to place under your tree and along your mantelpiece.
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Things You'll Need
- Red, yellow, blue and white poster paint A shoe box with lid Cotton balls Glue Hot melt glue gun Clear hot melt glue sticks
Instructions
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Paint the entire box and lid white. Allow to dry. Mix a small amount of red paint into an equal amount of white paint to make a Caucasian Santa. Mix equal parts red, yellow and white paint, and then add a small amount of blue to make a deep mahogany color. Add white or yellow paint to get various skin tones ranging from deep mahogany to cream for international Santas.
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Paint one third of the box and lid in your chosen "skin" tone. Leave a 2-inch space between the "face" portion and the "body"portion of your Santa shoe box. Paint the remaining part of the shoe box red. Allow box to dry.
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Turn box over. Paint the bottom of the box red, with no skin color portion. Allow box to dry.
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Paint the first two inches of the top face portion of the box red, making a "Santa's cap" area and creating a forehead for your Santa. Allow to dry. Glue a row of cotton balls along your Santa's forehead. Give your Santa's face two eyes and a curve for his nose, then make a mouth. Use Santa pictures from Christmas cards to decide how to shape Santa's nose and mouth. Glue two or three rows of cotton balls over the 2-inch wide white-painted area. Give Santa's suit some black or gold buttons. Use real buttons or cut them from Christmas cards.
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If Santa will be used as a table decoration, carefully glue the lid on using a hot melt glue gun and clear glue sticks. Place Santa upright on table and place garland around the base. Add holly sprigs and a pair of red candles in crystal candlesticks.
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To use your Santa as a gift box, fill with cookies and Christmas candy. Seal lid with hot melt glue. To use your Santa as a pinata, fill with wrapped Christmas candies and small toys. Seal lid with hot melt glue. Poke two holes in the top of Santa's head and thread a thin nylon rope through the holes. Dangle your Santa from the ceiling while blindfolded children swing at it with a whiffle ball bat until it breaks. Share the candies and toys among all your child guests.
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Tips & Warnings
Make a group of ten shoe box Santas and use them as bowling pins. Roll oranges stuck with cloves to knock them down.
Hot melt glue guns can start a fire if left unattended.
