Christmas Crafts: Apple Santa

I have nieces and nephews and I’m looking very much forward to sitting around with them over the holidays and playing with fun Christmas Crafts. I’m doing what I can to collect some fun ideas. My superfun friend Bregan is going to be spending the holidays here in NC and she is already gearing up to share family craft traditions with our family. Here’s some directions for one she sent me that you should try!

Bregan’s Apple Santa Wonderland is such a fun afternoon project if you have crafty kids, or if you’re a crafty kid yourself.

Apple Santa Wonderland

Materials:

• 1 Large shiny red apple (one for each Santa you plan to make)
• 5 Toothpicks
• 4-5 Large marshmallows (for Santa’s head, beard and belt)
• 3 Cloves (for Santa’s eyes and pipe)
• Large gum drops (various colors) (for Santa’s hat, belt, arms and legs)
• Small gum drops (various colors) (for Santa’s mittens, boots, hat and buttons)
• A Shoebox, some Powdered Sugar, Little Debbie Christmas Trees and whatever else you need to make a wonderland

Directions:

1. Remove the apple’s stem

2. Stick toothpicks into the apple in the location of your Santa’s arms and legs (keep in mind that your Santa will be seated)

3. Slide 1 large (or small) red gumdrop onto each arm and leg toothpick until it touches the apple (round side out)

4. On the arms, follow the red gumdrop with 1 small green gumdrop mitten (round side out)

5. On the legs, follow the red gumdrop with 1 small black gumdrop boot (round side out)

6. Stick a toothpick into the top of the apple in the location of your Santa’s head (leave lots of toothpick exposed for your Santa’s head and hat)

7. Slide 1 large marshmallow onto the toothpick until it touches the apple

8. Follow the large marshmallow with 1 large red gumdrop hat (round side out)

9. Follow the large gumdrop with 1 small white gumdrop hat topper (round side out)

10. Now prepare to get a little sticky as you complete the details of your jolly friend

11. Work 1 large marshmallow in your fingers until it breaks down into a nice sticky beard

12. Affix Santa’s beard appropriately and place a stubby clove pipe where his mouth might be

13. Stick 2 clove eyes into your Santa’s marshmallow head

14. Work 1 large marshmallow in your fingers until it breaks down into the trim along the bottom of his coat

15. Affix Santa’s trim appropriately around the waistline

16. Slice the fat end off of a large yellow gumdrop (to use as a buckle) and affix it to Santa’s marshmallow waistline (with a clove if necessary)

17. Affix 3 three clove buttons down the front of Santa’s coat (or use small green gumdrops attached with toothpicks)

18. Build your Santa a Winter Wonderland by accenting your scene with a powdered sugar ground sprouting Little Debbie Christmas Trees (http://www.littledebbie.com/products/ChristmasCakes.asp ) or bake your own 3D Christmas tree cookies (http://www.instructables.com/id/Nifty_3D_Christmas_Tree_Cookies_great_to_eat_or_g/ ). Scatter ribbon candy, chocolates and other goodies at his feet.

NOTE: Both Bregan and I had a hard time locating Large Gum Drops. She suggests you visit a specialty candy store so that you have the optimal materials. Both of us made do with what we could get our hands on. I even tried twizzlers – which turned out to be more fun to eat than to use for arms. But really – anything goes!!

And….. Do not be sad if your first Apple Santa comes out retarded – working marshmallow between your fingers is fun, but difficult. You might decide to come up with a different option for this too. Or you might decide to let your Apple Santa look like my first go. Poor Apple Santa!

Don’t send a Betsy to do a Bregan Job.

And here we are – in his rightful land – a Wonderland!! Truthfully, making his Wonderland home was soo much fun…. Enjoy your Christmas Crafting and Lastly – PLEASE pretty please – share with me your Holiday Craft Ideas. We are greedy for fun projects!!