How to Make Egg Carton Reindeer
Combine simple supplies from nature and recycled materials to make these adorable egg carton reindeer! This delightful Christmas craft combines creativity and sustainability, turning everyday items into a charming holiday decoration.
Yield: 1 egg carton reindeer
Cost: $1
Equipment
Materials
- Egg carton
- Acrylic paint (peach and brown)
- Twigs
- Pom poms (brown and red; 1 cm)
- Flatback doll eyes (or black beads; 6mm)
- Acrylic paint markers (cream)
Instructions
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Cut the egg carton pieces
- Cut a cone piece from an egg carton (the part in-between the cups). Trim the bottom so it's flat and even. This is the reindeer's head.
- Then cut a cup from the carton as well. This will be the reindeer's body.
- Cut a small piece from one corner of the cone, at the bottom.
- This will allow the 2 pieces to fit together nicely.
Step 3: Paint the egg cartons
- Paint the reindeer's head (the cone) a peach colour.
- Then paint the body (the cup) a medium brown.
- Allow to dry, and add second coats of paint if needed. Again, allow to dry.
- Cover one ridge of the head with brown paint, making the section wider towards the bottom. This will be the top of the reindeer's head, so make sure the section you paint is opposite the small cut you made earlier.Allow to dry and add a second coat of brown paint, if needed.
Step 4: Put the reindeer together
- Add hot glue to the section of the head where you cut off a small piece.
- Attach the head to the body, holding them together until they stay on their own.
- For the reindeer's legs, gather 4 straight twigs. Cut them so they're even lengths, each about 2-1/2 inches.
- Glue the legs inside the egg cup, placing one on each "corner".
- For the antlers, gather another 2 twigs. These ones should have little "Y" sections on one end.
- Add a generous amount of hot glue to the back base of the head. Stick the straight part of the antlers into the glue and arrange them so they're going out on an angle.
Step 5: Add the finishing touches
- Glue a small brown pom pom to the back of the body for the reindeer's tail.
- Then glue a red (or brown, depending on which reindeer you're making) pom pom at the front, for the reindeer's nose.
- Attach 2 black beads or dolls eyes on either side of the head, at the edge of the brown/peach paint, about 2/3 of the way back from the nose.
- Then use a cream coloured paint marker to add "freckle" details to the reindeer, on the top of its head and back.
- Your egg carton reindeer is complete!
Notes
Looking for more egg carton crafts? Here's a few of our favourites:
Egg Carton Penguins
Egg Carton Animal Portraits
Tea Cup Mother's Day Card