If you know anything about me, you know that I am obsessed with the Nutcracker ballet. My dad used to take me to it when I was younger and it was always the highlight of the holiday season for me. So, of course, I just love nutcracker craft projects like this craft stick nutcracker.
This would be the perfect craft to do with a class or a Scout/Guide group. With younger kids, would cut up the craft sticks ahead of time for them and of course, you’ll either need to use low temp glue guns with supervision or use a white glue (I’d recommend Aleene’s tacky glue) and allow for extra drying time.

Craft Stick Nutcracker
You can find many of these supplies at your local dollar store.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. What this means is that if you click over to one of the provided links and purchase something, I get a small commission at no added cost to you.
Supplies needed:

Craft Sticks
Craft or Acrylic Paint
White Faux Fur
Gold & Silver Metallic Sharpies
Fine White Paint Pen
Paint Brushes
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun/Hot Glue
Instructions:

CUTTING
1. Set 2 craft sticks aside for the legs of the nutcracker.

2. Carefully cut 3 craft sticks in half. Three halves will be used for the torso of the nutcracker.
3. Carefully cut a third of 5 Craft sticks off, you will only use the long pieces.
4. You should now have:
- 2 Full size craft sticks
- 3 1/2 sized craft sticks
- 5 2/3 sized craft sticks

GLUING
5. With the cut end facing up, hot glue half a craft stick onto the top front of your 2 full sized craft sticks.
6. Glue the remaining 2 halves next to the first half, this will be the torso of the nutcracker.
7. You should have 5 two-third sized craft sticks remaining, glue one of them to each back side of the torso with the cut end facing up.
8. Then glue the remaining three craft sticks to the top torso of the nutcracker with the cut ends facing up. This will be the face and the hat.

PAINTING
9. Choose one color of paint to paint the full nutcracker, leaving a block of the plain wood for the face like pictured.

10. Once the first coat of paint has dried, paint the suit coat & hat a darker shade then the first).

11. Once the paint has dried, use a paint pen to draw on eyes and a mustache.

12. Paint the small details of the eyes with a paint brush. A dot of blue and a smaller dot of black.
13. Use the metallic sharpies to draw on the details, like a nose, buttons on the coat, boots, and mittens.

14. Cut 2 very thin pieces of white faux fur to glue onto the sides of the face and 1 even smaller piece to glue under the mustache for the beard.
15. Let dry and it’s complete. Add magnetic tape to the back to turn it into a fridge magnet or a piece of string or yarn glued to the back to use as an ornament or window decoration.
Leave a Reply