|Recycle a small box into a cute Santa sleigh. Color and cut out paper reindeer or make some toilet paper tube reindeer to pull your box sleigh.|
- Keep the stapler and hot glue gun out of young children's reach.
- Watch out for this sign . It means adult help is needed for the particular step.
|1.||Find a small or medium-sized block-shaped box. Make a simple sleigh pattern on paper and trace this onto one of the box's side panel.|
|2.||Trace the same sleigh pattern onto the opposite box panel. Draw a straight line connecting the ends of the two sleigh outlines.|
|3.||Cut out the basic sleigh shape following the marked outlines.|
|4.||Glue or staple any open flaps.|
|5.||If you want to make a seat for your sleigh, cut out a strip of cardboard (use the box scraps from Step 3) and fold down both ends so that the piece fits just right into your sleigh. Glue the seat inside the box sleigh.|
|6.||Paint your sleigh with acrylic paint. You may leave the sleigh interior unpainted if you like.|
|7.||Cut 2 pieces of drinking straw to the same length as your sleigh's width. Use white glue or for an extra sturdy sleigh, use hot glue gun to attach each drinking straw about an inch from the edge of the sleigh's bottom surface.|
|8.||Cut 2 more drinking straws, this time the pieces should be as long as your sleigh's length. Glue them at right angles with the first pair of drinking straws and each one positioned about ½ inch from the edge of the sleigh.|
|9.||Once the glue dries, you may put your sleigh in an upright position. You can decorate your sleigh further if you like. I decorated mine with a touch of glitter glue along the curved top edges.|
|10.||Draw some reindeer or print out any of these reindeer templates onto card stock.
Color and cut out the reindeer.
|11.||To make the reindeer stand upright, you will need to make paper stands for them. Cut out the same number of ½-inch wide strips of card stock as the number of reindeer that you have. The length of a paper stand should be approximately the same as or slightly shorter than the sleigh's width.
Cut a short slit close to each end of a paper stand. Make a pair of short slits at the base of each paper reindeer as well. The locations of the slits are circled in red in both photos.
|12.||Join a pair of reindeer using two paper stands - one stand interlocking with the slits on both reindeer's front legs and the other stand interlocking with the slits on the hind legs.|
|13.||Connect each row of reindeer by taping a string from the back of one reindeer to the next.|
|14.||Punch a pair of holes at the front of the sleigh. Connect the reindeer to the sleigh by fastening the ends of the strings around the holes.|
|15.||In case you want to add a Santa, you can draw one or print out any of these Santa Claus templates. Color, cut out and glue the Santa inside the sleigh.
Use a Z-shaped tab to prop up your Santa from the back (top photo) or two L-shaped tabs to keep him in place (bottom photo).
You may also just crease your Santa in the middle and along the knees and have him "sit down" on the sleigh's seat.
|16.||You can connect the strings to your Santa Claus as if he is holding the reins. Punch a pair of holes on your Santa's hands and insert the ends of the strings through the holes. Make knots on the strings at the back of your Santa Claus.|
|17.||That's it! The sleigh can be filled with candy, small toys and pretend presents.|
Use your Santa Sleigh craft as a Christmas treat holder. Fill it with candy canes, chocolate, and holiday treats.
You can also try making this cute Toilet Paper Tube Reindeer to pull your Santa Sleigh.