A little paint + brown paper bag = an adorable stuffed Santa star ornament

Money is tight...everywhere, plus just about everyone is into recycling these days, so what do you if you and the kids would like to create some cute home made ornaments for the tree?  Get your groceries in a brown paper bag and you will have the main supply for creating a ton of these cute little stuffed Santas.  Add some supplies you may already have on hand and these little ornaments are pretty much cost-free.

You will need:

Brown paper bag

Acrylic paint in red, white, flesh, black and gold

Acrylic varnish

Tacky craft glue

Small and medium sized paintbrush

Gold thread (for hanging)

Paper towels and newspaper to protect work surface

Small amount of fiberfill for stuffing.

Optional:  tiny pompom and gold glitter pen

 1.  Cut open the paper bag.  Crumple the paper.  Working on the unlabeled side, re-flatten the paper and cover with a coat of red paint.  Let dry.

 2.  Thin some black paint with water and apply over the red paint wiping as you go.  Some of the black will remain in the wrinkles aging and giving the paper a leather-like look.  When dry apply a thin coat of varnish.  Let dry.

3.  Use the star pattern to cut out two stars for each Santa.  On one star paint the Santa as shown in the photos and let dry. 

Star pattern, click and print full size

Cut two stars

Paint the boots and trim

Paint a U-shape for face in flesh and white trim above

Paint white trim on sleeves

Paint white around face for beard

Paint a black stripe across for belt

Add white trim down center and above belt

Paint square shape in center for buckle

Add two blue eyes

Add black for pupil, red nose and lips 

4.  Apply a line of glue all around the unpainted side of the other star leaving the top point (where Santa’s head will be unglued.  This is where you will add the stuffing.  Line up the stars and press together.  Glue a 6-inch thread to the back inside for hanging before you stuff. 

5.  When the Santa is dry, add bits of stuffing in the body of the Santa.  A pencil or the end of a paintbrush helps to push the stuffing into all the points of the star evenly.  Add some glue around the top and attach.  When dry you may add a small pompom to the top of Santa’s hat or you can just add a dab of white paint.

Step by step painting instructions make this project easy peasy!