Materials Needed
1 Toilet Paper Tube
2 Pieces of Red Felt
1 Piece of White Felt
Scrap of Black or Green Felt
1 Pink or Tan Pom Pom
1 White Pom Pom
Scissors
Felt Glue
A bit of Tinsel or any small item Santa can hold. (We had stickers of stockings that were just right for some and we found a little toy for others. A birthday candle also works well.)
This craft is so simple and inexpensive! Kids Love it! Don't expect all things to be exactly the same. Use your creativity to make your Santa different. I just explain things the best way and let kids go from there. It is important for students to know the reasons why I do what I do. After kids understand I encourage creative changes, that is "Creative License!"
Cutting Materials
Cut one piece of red felt just long enough and tall enough to wrap around the paper tube. If you fold your felt into 4's it just fits 4 tubes so it is easy to make multiples. With remaining red felt fashon a "pizza slice triangle" for the hat. The base of the triangle is 6" across and the hight is 7and1/2". Slightly curve the base. (you can get 3 hats out of a single piece of felt.) You will need two strips of white felt for the hat and the base of Santa's suit. Each strip is 1/2 inch wide by 8 and1/2 inches. (You can get enough for 11 Santas from one piece of white felt.) Cut a wide ski shaped beard about 3" by 1 and 1/2". Cut a little mustache out of white as well. Kids can cut whatever shaped beard and mustache they would like! It makes each one different. Now with the scrap of black or green fashion two little gloves.
Step 1. Felt glue is the best for kids. Glue the rectangular piece of red felt to the tube. You may need to trim the bottom after you glue it on so that it fits just right. The felt should come together in the front - so that it will be under the beard.
Step 2 Glue the beard on next, over the seam. It should start at the top of the tube and stop about 1 and 1/2 inches from the bottom of the tube. Use enough glue so that edges don't come up but not so much that your beard slides around.
Step 3 Fashion your "Pizza Slice Triangle" into a tall Santa Hat. Only slightly overlap the pieces or the hat won't fit Santa. Try it on first! You may want to make the hat on Santa's head as you go. Make sure that you do not overlap your piece by too far. Then slip it onto the end of the tube where the beard is touching the top and glue in place. Make sure the seam for the hat is to the side of the Beard. This way when you fold the hat down the seam does not show. If the hat fold's back it doesn't look as good from the front and if it folds in the front it covers the face. You can make yours fold to either side and as far down as you wish.
Step 4 Use your long white white strip piece for the trim. Glue the white trim to the hat. You will need to cut the trim to length. (save scrap of white for Santa's mustache) Make sure and leave enough to slightly overlap. I find it best to cut it after one end is glued in place and you have measured around with the other end. Make sure that the hat trim covers 1/2 of the beard and 1/2 of the hat and it will be just right. The seam for the hat trim should line up with the hat seam.
Step 5 Use your other long white strip for the base trim. Use the same technique as you did for the hat trim so that it works for you. The seam for the base trim should be at the back however. And the base trim needs to be aligned perfectly with the bottom of the paper tube so that the Santa will stand correctly.
Step 6 Add Mustache (Cut from extra hat trim) Pom pom nose and the little gloves to the front of the Santa any way you like. Put the pom pom nose on last. Glue down or add the cute little Christmas tinsel (or any item Santa is holding) before gluing the gloves in place. Now that you know how to do it you can make different types. We even made an elf using the same technique. I want to try a Mrs. Santa Clause next. It can be fun to find little pieces of extra stuff that they can hold. Experiment with different sizes of pom poms and different colors of felt. Whatever you wish! They look cute when you line them up on a wall or a mantel!
