Reindeer Crafts

It's easy to make uniquely shaped reindeer headbands.

Reindeer crafts give you a lot of creative freedom to add your special touch. They're ideal for children to make because no one can tell them Rudolph doesn't look like that; reindeer can look any way you design them. Glue can be used instead of stitching. Just be sure to use tacky glue with felt, as regular white glue and hot glue do not adhere well with felt.

Hand Puppets

Make a basic hand puppet shape on a piece of paper sized to fit your hand. This includes two puppet arms for your thumb and pinkie, and a head for your other fingers. Cut it out on a doubled piece of tan felt. Use brown embroidery floss and an overhand stitch to stitch the puppet together around the outside. Knot the thread firmly on both ends of the puppet. Use tacky glue to affix large wiggly eyes and a red pompom nose. Add a pink felt mouth in any shape you like. Cut red chenille stems into four pieces each. Stick one piece of the stem into each side of the head for antlers, pushing the stem inside the puppet, in between the stitches. On the inside, put tacky glue on the ends of the stems and push the stems firmly against the felt. Be careful to glue only at the top of the head. Allow the puppet to dry thoroughly before using it.

Reindeer Headbands

Trace around your hands on paper, exaggerating the lengths and widths of the fingers. Or be creative and make three- or four-pronged antler drawings of your own. Extend the wrists about 6 inches. Pin the papers to doubled red, green or brown felt and cut out the antlers. Stitch each antler together close to the outside edges by hand or machine, leaving the bottom of the wrists open. Push a chenille stem up through the middle of each antler. Stuff each antler lightly with polyester fiberfill. Use a dowel or pencil to distribute the stuffing. Wrap the bottom wrist of each antler around a brown headband. Pull it tight on the headband. Hand stitch the felt together so it stays in place. Pose the antlers as you please.

Pencil Topper

Fold a brown chenille stem in half but don't cut it. Place a pencil in the fold and wrap both pieces of the stem up the pencil loosely, at least four times. Gently remove the wrapped stem but keep its circular shape. Glue a large red pompom onto the circles near the bottom. Glue wiggly eyes above the pom on one of the circled parts of the stem. Twist the ends of the stem into antlers. If they are too long, cut them to a size you like. Use the cut pieces to add to the antlers by twisting them onto the stems so they stay without sliding. Then form both sides into more elaborate antlers.

Handmade Cards

Buy 4-inch-by-6-inch white card stock or fold white construction paper into card size. Find a cookie cutter of just the shape of a reindeer head. Use a pencil to trace the reindeer head onto the front of the card. Decorate the card with crayons, markers, colored pencils or paint. Add three-dimensional touches such as a red pompom nose and wiggly eyes. Finish the card with reindeer terms like, "You sleigh me" or "Have a deer Christmas."

References

• Eduplace: Hand Puppets