Stick Figure Ornaments

Perky Penguin

An adult should do the cutting described in Step 1. Apply paint to the back and side edges of each stick as well as to the front. Use any color felt you like for the penguin's hat and scarf.

From left to right: Perky Penguin,
Merry Reindeer, Natty Nutcracker.

• Scissors or sharp pruning shears
• 2 wooden crafts sticks: 1 narrow (3/8 inch wide) and 1 jumbo (3/4 inch wide)
• Orange crafts foam or orange felt
• Blue felt
• 2 beady eyes, 3/16-inch
• 2 beady eyes, 3/16-inch
• Thick white crafts glue or a low-temperature glue gun and hot-glue sticks
• Acrylic crafts paint in black and white
• 1/2 inch flat paintbrush
• Ruler
• 3-inch length of 1/8 inch white ribbon
• 8-inch length of 1/8-inch white ribbon

1. Cut 1-1/2 inches from each end of the narrow crafts stick for the wings. Discard the rest of the narrow stick.

2. Paint the jumbo crafts stick white and let it dry. Paint the wings black. Paint a narrow line of black along the edges of the white jumbo stick.

3. Cut beak and feet from orange crafts foam or orange felt. To shape feet, draw 2 teardrop shapes approximately 3/4 inch long. Make 3 toes by making 2 small V-shaped indents in the larger end, and rounding edges after cuts.

4. Glue the eyes, beak, and feet to the body. Glue the feet to the back of the body, at the bottom.

5. Glue the wings to the body. Glue them onto the back, about 2 inches from the top.

6. Add hat. Cut a 1x4-inch strip of blue felt. Fold it in half (to form a 1x2-inch doubled piece) and tie the 3-inch length of ribbon 1/2 inch from the fold to gather the top of the hat. Clip the fold, then cut the felt to fringe it. Glue the top of the penguin's head inside the open ends of the hat.

7. Add scarf. Cut a long, narrow strip of matching felt (about 6 inches long and 1/2 inch wide) for the scarf. Fringe the ends and glue scarf in place.

8. Add hanging loop. Glue both ends of the 8-inch length of ribbon to the back of the ornament, just below the hat. Let glue dry.