Making a Toilet Roll Father Christmas

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: one Father Christmas

Supplies:

• printout of provided pattern sheet for hat
• empty toilet paper roll
• empty egg carton tray
• white cotton filling
• 2 x 5.4 inch strip of red felt
• a second piece of red felt for the hat
• 2 x 0.4 inch strip of white felt
• a second piece of white felt for the hat
• 0.3 x 6.2 inch strip of black felt
• 0.5 x 0.6 inch piece of yellow felt
• 2 10mm wide red buttons
• pair of 8mm wiggle eyes
• 0.6 inch high silver bell
• flesh acrylic paint
• Artline 210 Fineliner black pen
• red felt-tip pen
• paintbrush
• standard scissors
• needle
• red and white thread
• quick-drying craft glue (such as Bostik Clear)

Steps:

1. From the egg tray, cut a circle that would fit on top of the toilet paper roll.
2. Paint both the circle and the toilet paper roll with the flesh paint and allow to dry thoroughly.

3. Glue the circle to the top of the toilet paper roll and cut off any protruding edges.

4. Use cotton filling and glue to add hair. Use the scissors to shape the hair neatly.
5. Glue the wiggle eyes in place.
6. Use the red felt-tip pen to add rosy cheeks and a red nose, and the black pen to add a mouth and freckles.
7. Roll a small piece of filling between your fingers and cut it to shape to add an eyebrow. Repeat for the second eyebrow, and make the moustache in the same way.

8. Make a coat for Father Christmas:
   a. Glue the strip of red felt around the bottom of the toilet paper roll ~ the two ends must meet in the front.
   b. Glue the strip of white felt over the red felt where the two ends of the red felt meet.
   c. Add the two buttons.

9. Glue the strip of black felt around the bottom part of the coat to add the belt. Again, the two parts must meet at the front.
10. Cut a rectangle from the inside of the yellow felt to leave a yellow "frame." Glue the "buckle" to the front of the belt.

11. Use the cotton filling to add his beard, again shaping it with the scissors.
12. Make a hat for Father Christmas:
    a. Cut the hat from the pattern sheet and trace it onto the red felt. Repeat, so that you will have a front and back panel for the hat. Cut the two panels out.
    b. Use the needle and red thread to stitch the sides of the two panels together.
    c. Cut a strip from the second piece of white felt and glue it all around the bottom of the hat. Use a running stitch to keep the white felt strip in place.
    d. Use needle and thread to affix the bell to the end of the hat.
13. Glue the hat onto Father Christmas' head.