Craft Advent 5: Wooly Reindeer

Day 5 already! Today’s Guest Post is thanks to Sadhbh from Where Wishes Come From. Sadhbh, (pronounced, by the way, as “Sive”), who is as lovely in real and virtual life as her blog is, has created this utterly gorgeous reindeer, complete with downloadable PDF pattern. We will be including reindeer in our nativity scene this year!! (And also making some of these sheep, another simple and perfect {simply perfect!} tutorial and pattern that Sadhbh created earlier this year) Thankfully, our washing line is not in much use during the winter, because I doubt by next week there will be many clothes pegs left on it 😉 One of the things I love about Sadhbh’s blog, is that she has focuses on seasonal celebrations, especially Irish seasonal celebrations, complete with a bit of a story and history to make it interesting and give it context. And her blog is a literal cornucopia of crafty tutorials and celebratory ideas…. my kind of heaven!! Anyway! Let me hand you over to Sadhbh:

Wooly Reindeer

These wooly reindeer are soft and fluffy and a doddle to make. A great way to keep little hands busy and cosy during the cold weather. You Will Need:

Thick Cardboard Brown Wool A Red Pompom Two wooden clothes pegs Craft knife/Scissors PVA Glue Black/brown acrylic paint (optional)

Method: Paint  the pegs black, from the middle, at the spring, to the tip of the ‘pinching end’ in your chosen colour and set aside to dry. You can always skip this part either, and leave the pegs their natural colour. Print and cut out the template [Wooly Reindeer Pattern PDF] and draw around the pattern on the cardboard.Then cut out the body and antler shapes in the cardboard  Cut a slit at the top of the ‘head’ as marked. A craft knife/scalpel would give neater results, but a scissors works just fine. (I’ve used a scissors here) Pin the pegs onto the body using a dab of glue to secure. Make sure the Reindeer can stand steadily before the glue sets. You can also secure the wool under a peg while you do this. Let the glue dry. Begin winding the wool around and around the cardboard until the main body is well covered. When the pegs and body are well hidden begin winding the wool up the neck and head. Insert the antlers into the slit and secure with the wool by crossing it over a few times. When the head is well covered wind the wool back down the neck until it reaches the body. Snip the end of the wool and tie off onto another strand. Tuck the loose end in.Glue the red pom pom to the tip of the ‘nose’ and you’re done!

• Craft Advent,
• craft tutorials,
• free pattern,
• PDF pattern,
• Reindeer,
• Where Wishes Come From Blog