Kids Christmas Craft: Popsicle Santa

Personalized Popsicle Santas are quick and easy to make and can be used as ornaments for the tree or special gifts for mom and dad. Personalized with photos of your students this craft is sure to be appreciated for years to come by parents and grandparents.

Taking the Photo

Take snapshots of students. Close ups of the face is all that is needed for this craft. Encourage to children to smile and put on happy face. Edit the photos and adjust the size of the face to 2 1/2 inches. Print colored photos and trim to a 2-½ inch square.

Preparation

Cut an 8-inch by 3-inch strip of heavy weight paper, such as index or card stock. Measure and mark a horizontal line four inches from the top of the strip.

Mark the center point of the strip with a pencil. Use a ruler to draw a triangle from the top of the strip down to the outer edges of the horizontal line.

Cut along the line to form the pointy hat.

Classroom Activity

Provide students with eight craft sticks and instruct them to paint six of the sticks white and two of the sticks red. Set the sticks aside and allow to dry completely.

While the sticks dry, instruct students to paint or color the hat portion of the paper strips red. Young children can use markers for this, but check that the area is completely covered.

Assembling the Popsicle Santa

Place a thin layer of craft glue on the space below the hat. Center the child's photo onto the strip so that the photo rests just below the hat. Smooth to remove any wrinkles.

Position one white craft stick horizontally across the top of the child's photo. The stick should rest just above the eyebrows. This forms the rim on the Santa hat. Check that the craft stick is centered.

Beginning below the nose on the child's photo, place three white craft sticks vertically to begin Santa's beard. Center these sticks and press them close together so there is no space between the three sticks.

Place a white craft stick along either side of the face so that the top of the sticks are flush against the hat's rim, and their sides are flush with the other sticks used for the beard. The bottom of the stick will create the curve of Santa's beard.

Place the two remaining red craft sticks so they form the outline of Santa' hat, overlapping the tops. The red paint should show between the two craft sticks completing the hat.

Adding a Hanger

Make a hanger by looping and knotting a piece of ribbon, jute or decorative wire and glue to the back of the ornament. You can also glue a small magnet to the back for displaying on the refrigerator instead of as a tree ornament, if preferred.

Display student work on your classroom Christmas tree, on bulletin boards or outside your classroom door. Allow children to take their ornaments home before Christmas vacation for a Mom or Dad. These delightful Popsicle Santas are destined to become a family keepsake and a reminder of the days when the children were young.