Reindeer Paper Dolls

After making these gingerbread men paper dolls, I decided we could also make reindeer paper dolls from that same paper shopping bag (which came from my shopping fiasco at the Levi's Outlet, in case you are wondering). This is how they turned out.

Materials:

• paper bag (grocery size or larger)
• scissors
• pencil
• markers (or colored pencils or paint pens)
• sequins (optional)
• pom poms (optional)
  
• glue (if using sequins or pom poms)

Directions:

1. Cut a long strip from a brown paper bag and fold it accordion style. We used a brown paper shopping bag.
2. Draw a reindeer on the top section, making sure that the tip of the nose, tail, and legs touch at the folds. (Tip: I drew our reindeer freehand, but you could trace around a cookie cutter.)
3. Keeping the paper folded, cut out the reindeer, making sure not to cut through the folded paper at the nose, tail, and legs.
4. Unfold your paper and decorate the reindeer. I used a brown marker to add details to the faces, black marker for the hooves, and red marker to make collars with gold sequins for jingle bells. Mia decorated hers with markers, sequins, and red pom poms for noses.

Gingerbread Men Paper Dolls

Here is a cute craft that Mia and I did today. The idea came from a book I got at a garage sale called Look What You Can Make with Paper Bags. That is a quarter that was well-spent.

Materials:

• paper bag (grocery size or larger)
• scissors
• pencil
• white crayon (or colored pencil or paint pen)
• buttons (optional)
• glue (if using buttons)

Directions:

Paper Doll Gingerbread Men Decorated by Mia, Age 3 1/2

1. Cut a long strip from a brown paper bag and fold it accordion style. We used a brown paper shopping bag.
2. Draw a gingerbread man on the top section, making sure that the hands and feet touch at the folds. (Tip: I drew our gingerbread man freehand, but you could trace around a cookie cutter.)
3. Keeping the paper folded, cut out the gingerbread man, making sure not to cut through the folded paper at the hands and feet.
4. Unfold your paper and decorate the gingerbread men. I used a white crayon. Mia chose to glue on buttons. The directions in the book said to use paint, but you could also use a white colored pencil. I would recommend using a paint pen if you choose to use paint.