How to Make Christmas Craft Rolls
Looking for a low-budget craft project that’ll get the kids making in the run up to Christmas? Look no further!
Try creating these fun, festive characters using cardboard tubes and some basic craft supplies. You can even recycle cardboard tubes from your home and transform them into Santa, Rudolph and friends.
Once made, they’ll be perfect for hours of imaginative play or for adding charming handmade decorations to your home.
Project and instructions by Suzie Attaway
You will need
You Will Need
* Cardboard Tubes
* Felt Sheets - White, Green, Red, Cocoa, Cashmere and Baby Pink
* Card - Green, Red, Black, and Gold
* Pipe Cleaners - Brown, Red, White, Christmas Stripey
* Pom Poms in Various Sizes - Orange, Pink, Camel, Black and Brown
* Moon and Star Shaped Sequins
* Googly Eyes
* Small Gold Bell
* Scissors
* Ruler
* Glue
Carefully cut the cardboard tubes into the following lengths:
- Gingerbread Man: 6cm
- Reindeer: 7cm
- Elf: 7cm
- Snowman: 8cm
- Father Christmas: 10cm
Measure and cut the following felt colours to fit each tube, then stick the felt around the tubes.
- Gingerbread Man: Cashmere
- Reindeer: Cocoa
- Elf: Green (body) and Baby Pink (face)
- Snowman: White
- Father Christmas: Red (body) and Baby Pink (face)
Note: Some colours of felt are available as a self-adhesive sheet, which makes sticking to the tube much easier, but others will need to be glued.
To make the snowman's hat, draw around a small circular object (such as a roll of tape) on black card and cut out the circle.
Cut a strip of black card measuring 3cm x 12cm. Make 1cm cuts along one edge of the strip to create tabs.
Glue the ends of the strip together to form a cylinder. Fold the tabs inward and glue them to the circular card base. Leave to dry.
To decorate the snowman, glue the hat to the top of the white felt-covered tube.
Then add 2 googly eyes, an orange pom pom nose, a stripy pipe cleaner scarf and black pom pom buttons.
For the reindeer, cut a brown pipe cleaner into 2 pieces measuring 7cm, and 4 pieces measuring 3cm.
Twist the shorter pieces around the longer pieces to form antlers.
Glue the antlers inside the top of the brown felt-covered tube.
Then add some big googly eyes and a red pom pom nose. Allow to dry.
For the gingerbread man, create the head using a large beige pom-pom, some googly eyes and a moon-shaped spangle smile.
Glue the head to the beige felt-covered tube.
Cut out a red felt bow tie and stick in place, along with some red sequin heart buttons.
Twist a red-and-white striped pipe cleaner into a candy cane and glue it to the side.
To make the elf's hat, draw around a saucer on green card and cut out the circle. Cut it in half, then roll one half into a cone and glue it closed.
Glue a red pipe cleaner around the base. Then thread a small gold bell onto a short piece of pipe cleaner.
Make a small hole at the top of the hat and insert the bell decoration. Add some star sequins.
To decorate the elf, glue the hat to the pink and green felt-covered tube. Add some googly eyes and a small pink pom pom nose to the face.
Then cut a thin zigzag strip of card and stick around the top of the green shirt. Finally, add some star sequins to the shirt.
For the Father Christmas, make a red card cone hat using the same method as the Elf's hat, but this time trim with a length of white pipe clear and a white pom pom.
Glue the hat to the pink and red felt-covered tube.
Add some googly eyes, a white pom pom nose and white pipe cleaner beard.
Then cut a black card belt and a gold card buckle and glue them around Father Christmas's middle.
Your Christmas craft roll characters are now complete!
