Christmas figures from cardboard tubes with decorations

1   Make a Father Christmas by painting a cardboard tube with red craft paint, apart from the area where the face will be. You don't need to be precise because the Foam Clay beard will cover the edge of the paint.

2   Print and cut out the template for the elf's hat which is available as a separate PDF file on this page. Copy onto red card and cut out. Glue the shape together to form a cone using Sticky Base.

3   Attach self-adhesive googly eyes. Model a nose from red Silk Clay and attach. Attach white Foam Clay along the edge of the elf's hat. Roll a small ball from white Foam Clay and attach it onto the top of the elf's hat. Attach white Foam Clay to the cardboard tube for the beard. A tip: Foam Clay and Silk Clay will stick to wood, papier-mâché etc. as long as it is moist. It air dries within 24 hours and sets hard.

4   Make a belt from a piece of brown pipe cleaner tied around the tummy and make a gold buckle from a small piece of gold pipe cleaner. Attach the elf's hat and the gold buckle with Sticky Base.

5   Here is the finished Father Christmas.

6   Make a snowman by painting a cardboard tube with white Plus Color craft paint. Paint a small (half size) cardboard tube with black craft paint.

7   Draw a circle on black card and cut it out. Assemble the cardboard tubes and the card circle with Sticky Base as shown in the photo. A tip: You may use the lid from a tub of Sticky Base as a template for the circle (approx. 8 cm in diameter).

8   Make a scarf by twisting a red and a white pipe cleaner together as shown in this photo.

9   Attach googly eyes and model the snowman's nose and buttons from Silk Clay.

10   Here is the finished snowman.

11   Make an elf by alternating tying white and red pipe cleaners around a cardboard tube. Each pipe cleaner is secured by twisting the ends around themselves and trimming. Continue until you have covered one half of the cardboard tube.

12   Make the elf's hat in the same way as in step 2. Use a pom-pom for the top of the elf's hat and attach a white pipe cleaner along the edge of the hat. Attach both with Sticky Base. Attach googly eyes and roll a small piece of red pipe cleaner into a ball. Attach the ball onto the cardboard tube for the elf's nose using Sticky Base.

13   Here is the finished elf.

14   Make a reindeer by shaping the reindeer's antler from brown pipe cleaners.

15   Attach the antlers and a small red pom-pom onto a cardboard tube using Sticky Base. Attach self-adhesive googly eyes.

16   Tie a piece of striped cotton cord with a bell around the reindeer's neck. Here is the finished reindeer.

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