Clay Pot Reindeer Craft Ornament Dollar Store Style

Materials Needed for Clay Pot Reindeer Craft Ornament

• Dollar Store Clay Pot – 2.5” in diameter – Dollar Store
• Acrylic Craft Paint – Dark Brown, Kelly Green, Pink, Yellow
• Natural Jute Twine – Dollar Store
• Wiggle Eyes, Two – Dollar Store
• Pom Pom, One Large Red Tinsel – Dollar Store
• Chenille Stems, Two Brown – Dollar Store
• Felt, Craft Foam, or Cardstock – Brown
• Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
• Scissors
• Paintbrush
• Pencil with New Eraser

Instructions for Clay Pot Reindeer Craft Ornament

STEP ONE

Gather all materials and then remove the packaging and labels. Basecoat the rim of the 2.5” clay pot with kelly green acrylic craft paint. Let the paint dry and then apply a second coat, if necessary.

STEP TWO

Basecoat the top section of the clay pot with dark brown acrylic craft paint. Set aside to dry. Apply a second coat, if necessary.

STEP THREE

Attach two wiggle eyes and the red tinsel pom pom to the reindeer with a glue gun and glue sticks. Create polka dots around the kelly green rim by dipping a new pencil eraser into bright yellow acrylic craft paint. Set aside to dry.

Add polka dot cheeks to the Reindeer by dipping a new pencil eraser into pink acrylic craft paint. Set aside to dry.

TIP: You can use liquid craft glue for this project, but you would have to wait for it to dry.

STEP FOUR

Bend both brown chenille stems into antler shapes and insert into the hole at the top of the clay pot. Secure from the inside with a glue gun and glue sticks.

Cut two ear shapes from a scrap of brown felt then fold in half and glue to the top right and top left of the reindeer.

Cut a 12” length of natural jute twine, tie it in a loop with a knot, and attach to the top of the clay pot Reindeer with a glue gun and glue sticks.

STEP FIVE

Create jingle bells from the yellow polka dots by drawing a small plus sign in the center of each with a permanent black marker.

The completed ornament is great as a tabletop decor, for placing on a tiered tray or hanging on the tree.

Reindeer Crafts for Kids

This is a great craft to do with kids at a party or in the classroom. Because the paint dries quickly, it can be done in one day or at one party. If you love reindeer, here are a few more really fun reindeer crafts!

The paper ball reindeer ornamen t is simple and fun while requiring no dry time.

Sculpey Bake Shop clay makes it super easy for kids to make reindeer beads and even a mini garland.

Oreos transform into reindeer cookies with a few simple ingredients.

Giant tags are a great way to decorate gifts and even hang in the tree.

Everyone love a thumbprint craft like a reindeer tag for gifts.

Reindeer food is a fabulous project to create and tradition to do together on Christmas Eve.

Seven Reasons Kids Should Be Crafting

Practice Fine Motor Skills – Many craft projects require the use of fine motor skills to cut, tie knots, paint, color and even apply glue. Crafting provides a great opportunity to work on fine motor skills while creating works of art.

Build Self Esteem – Through the process of creating a craft project, a child works through a series of steps to make a masterpiece. The success of completing steps and having something wonderful to show for it has proven to build self esteem.

Create Community – Many craft projects that are done by kids in classrooms or groups collectively create a larger work of art. For example. When a group of kids create individual pumpkin crafts – once put together they have a patch. This creates community and inclusion.

Build Social Skills – While actively crafting, often times the fears and worries of talking with others subsides and children (of all ages) find themselves to be more social with those around them,

Promotes Individuality – Craft projects should allow children the opportunity to put their own style or mark into their work. There need to be choices available to successfully promote individuality. Some of these choices include picking colors, crayons vs colored pencils, cutting vs tearing paper and outlining.

Encourages Self Expression – Often times children will express their feelings and thoughts through simple drawing and works of art. Encouraging kids to draw in their journals and add their own elements to projects sometimes offers a release of feelings.

Cheers to Crafting with Kids for Christmas!

Laura