I shared these Santa ornaments last year over on Instagram and you guys LOVED them.  I made them probably in the early 90s.  They have traveled through time with me.  I’ve donated a lot of my older decorations but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to let go of these.  They have been through….1, 2…3, 7 houses to be exact.  ???? I haven’t displayed them on a tree at all for YEARS.  They were wrapped in a shoe box.  I found them last year and decided to tie them all individually on a piece of cotton twine and display them as a garland.

I have had SO MANY questions this year when I pulled them out again of people wondering how I made them, so I decided to make them again.  Honestly, I couldn’t remember all of the little details until someone messaged me the exact recipe I used found in an old Gooseberry Patch book from the 90s.  It all came flooding back.  And… yes… these are the famous maxi-pad Santas that I’ve talked about before.  My friends and I ran out of paper mache and decided that the inside of maxi pads would work great for the details.  And they did.  This time, I stuck with paper mache.  ????

How to Make Vintage Looking Santa Ornaments from Paper Mache

Supplies:

• Bobby Pins
• Aluminum Foil
• Toothpick
• Paintbrushes
• White Gesso
• Arylic Paint
• Brown Water-Based Stain
• Instant Paper Mache
• Matte Clear Acrylic Spray

Allow all steps to fully dry after each application.

1. Slightly separate the prongs of the bobby pin for however many you want to make
2. Wrap and crush a piece of aluminum foil around each bobby pin, leaving a half inch of the pin exposed for a hanger.
3. Mix paper mache according to instructions on the package
4.  Apply the paper mache over the aluminum foil, using a toothpick to sculpt and carve details into the beard, eyebrows, etc.  I used my fingers to make eye sockets and pushed up some of the paper mache for the nose and eyebrows.  Add a little extra for a pompom on his hat or a mustache
5. Hang to dry.  (I hung them on my tree)  Once dry, apply gesso and let that dry
6. Paint each ornament with acrylic paint and let dry
7. Apply stain to ornament and wipe with a cloth to make them look vintage
8. You can apply a thin coat of glue at this point, if you want to add some glitter
9. Spray with sealant

As you can see, I make all of mine to look different.  Some of my Santas have a round face, some have a slender face, some have a really full beard, etc.

I let them dry over night and then painted them with the white gesso.

When the gesso dries, it’s time to start added character.  I paint all of the white first: his beard, pompoms on his hat, mustache, eyebrows, etc.  Then, I paint the color of his hats.  I used two different shades of brown, green, and a mustard color, make a black dot for his eyes, and red in his mouth.

Making the Santas Look Old and Tattered

Now it’s time to make them look old.  This is my favorite part.  I took water based stain and covered them, face and all, and wiped each one off with a soft cloth immediately after covering the entire Santa.  They are hanging on this little tree in my kitchen to dry, but may end up on a garland like the older ones… who knows.

They all have different personalities and characters.  Tag me over on Instagram or Facebook if you make them.  I love seeing everyone’s creations.