Grab some new or upcycled wine corks to make these adorable Rudolph ornaments! This is such an easy Christmas and winter craft for both kids and adults!
Place a cork on a cutting mat or wooden cutting board.Cut the cork in half, crosswise.
Cut each of these halves in 1/2 again vertically. In other words, with the round part of the cork on the top and bottom, cut down.
Cut 1/3 off another cork crosswise. We'll be using the 2/3 piece for the reindeer's head.
Step 3: Cut and bend the pipe cleaners
Cut 3 pieces of light brown pipe cleaner each about 1 inch long.
Fold each of the pieces of pipe cleaner in half. 1 piece will be the tail, while the other 2 will be the reindeer's ears.
Bend a dark brown pipe cleaner in half.
Cut the pipe cleaner in half at the fold. Keep the two halves together. We'll be bending the two antlers at the same time so they match, then we'll separate them.
Bend the pipe cleaners about 1 inch from the ends. Fold the pipe cleaner back down on itself, creating a 1/2 inch antler tine.
Fold the pipe cleaner straight again so only the antler tine is sticking up.
Fold back down after another 1/2 inch, creating a second tine.
Repeat, creating a third antler point.
Separate the two pieces of pipe cleaner. Wrap the straight bottom parts of the pipe cleaner around each other, securing the antler together.Repeat for the second antler.
Trim the bottom of the antlers so that each of them is just over 1-1/2 inches tall.
Now gather all the pieces of the wine cork reindeer.Besides the corks and the pipe cleaners, you'll also need a piece of ribbon, 2 small black beads, and a small red pom pom.
Step 4: Put the wine cork reindeer together
Add hot glue to the full cork, just off center and close to one of the ends.
Place one of the 1/4 cork pieces into the glue, with the rounded part facing outwards.Hold this piece in place until it stays by itself. This is one of the reindeer's legs.
Add more glue and add a second leg beside the first. Again, make sure the rounded part of the cork faces outward.
Repeat, adding the other 2 legs toward the other end of the cork.
Flip the corks over so that the legs are on the bottom, and add hot glue to the top of the cork, near one of the ends.
Place the 2/3 size cork into the glue so that about 1/3 of it sticks out past the body. Make sure the uncut side of the cork is facing forward.This is the reindeer's head.
Step 5: Add the pipe cleaners and face
Add two dots of glue to the back of the head, close to the top on either side.
Press the 2 ears (light brown pipe cleaner pieces) into the glue, with the folded edge up.
Add glue to the back of the full cork body and attach the tail so that it sticks out about 1/2 way above the body.Bend the top of the tail back so that it sticks out at a bit of an angle.
Add more glue behind the ears and attach the antlers. The bottom of the antlers should just about touch the body, so that they stick out nicely just above the ears.
Attach a pom pom nose to the top edge of the head. Then glue on the 2 black beads as the eyes.The eyes should be placed closer to the ears than the nose, about 2/3 of the way back.
Tie a ribbon around the reindeer's neck in a double knot and then make it into a bow at the front.