Well… we do need a SANTA!! Don’t we? And don’t worry… my Paper Puppet DIY mania hasn’t ceased.. they are so fun to design and make, that I just have to keep at it!! You guys LOVED the Elf Paper Puppets (now available in 16 different multicultural boys and girls), that a Santa Paper Puppet Template was the logical next thing. As with our elves, we have a set of multicultural Santa puppets to suit all your families and kids’ backgrounds – there is a caucasian Santa, a black Santa, an Asian Santa and Latino Santa… hopefully a fun little Santa Puppet for all to identify with! I hope you like them as much we do. Please note: all printers print differently, so I do hope the skin tones come out in a way that you like! But as we all have different printers, I can control the final look of your Santa!! Hope that is ok – but feedback welcome, sometimes we do just need to tweak things our end!
Santa Paper Puppets – Materials
- Light card stock is perfect for these DIY Santa Puppets – you can also Laminate them if you wish!
- Either paper & a laminator and laminting sheets OR light card stock that will fit in the printer
- Hole punch (single hole hole punches are super handy US / UK)
- Brads/ split pins (US / UK)
- Bakers Twine (oh how I LOVE bakers twine) (US/ UK)
- A large pointy needle
- PENS – optional – if you decide to download the “colour your own” Santa Paper Puppet Template
You can get one of the full coloured Santas HERE for free. But for the complete set and a 6 page printable head to my Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s store. You will get a printable lesson plan, an assembly worksheet AND 4 Santas to print (the coloring page + 3 Santa Skin tones!).
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE SANTA
How to make your SANTA Paper Puppet
I love that “colour your own” version really allows you to personalise your printable. Have fun with colours, patterns and shadings!
Yes, yes yes YES! Anothere quick and handy how to make a paper puppet video for you.. but again, I have included instructions down below, including a schematic for how to assemble the back of your Christmas Puppet – that is in fact the key bit to your craft. Get that bit wrong and your lovely little Santa won’t be able to flap his arms and legs in quite the best way!
How to make a Santa paper puppet move – step by step instructions
- Begin by choosing either your colour your own paper puppet or ready to assemble Santa puppet -print the Santa that suits your child best! Whether it is a Latino Santa or Black Santa. If you are using a laminator, print on ordinary paper, if you are using just card, print directly onto the card. Be sure you use card that is suitable for your printer.
- If colouring, colour your Santa now…. once fully coloured, run it through the laminator.
- It is now time to cut out all your Multicultural Santa “bits”. Cut them as neatly as you can.
- Using your hole punch, make holes for the moving parts – 4 in the body, one each in the arms and legs of your Santa Puppet.
- Thread your needle. It does help to have a large eyed, pointy needle – especially if using a laminator. If you do laminate your paper puppets you MAY need to make the holes for the bakers twine with scissors.
- Loosely connect your arms and legs with your brads / split pins.
- Now guide the thread throw the marked hole of one arm and then through the other.
- Make sure Santa’s arms are in the “down position” and that the thread runs across in a straight manner – not too tight, not too loose. Knot the other end.
- Repeat for Santa’s legs.
- Now you have one last thing to do – add a connecting piece of string between the arms and the legs – it is important that this isn’t too tight (the arms won’t move) or too loose (the legs own’t move).. again.. it needs to be “just right”…
- And your Santa Paper Puppet is FINISHED!! ENJOY!
Remember we have more Christmas Paper Puppets!! A full set of 16 Boy and Girl Multicultural Elf Puppets as well as the cutest Reindeer Paper Puppets.
Also take a look at our Bat Paper Puppet:
As well as our customisable Day Of the Dead Puppets:
We love LOTS more Christmas Printables here:
As well as a fabulous collection of Paper Christmas Crafts for kids:
Happy Paper Santa Puppet Making!!!!
Sande says
Very lovely puppets. But please go slower on your videos as sometimes very hard hard to follow. Thank you.
Red Ted Art says
Thank you for the feedback. Most of my other videos are slower.. I am afraid that the Puppets are an exception.. Sorry!! 🙁 Hopefully the written instructions and the image for the thread assembly will help.
cindy says
Thank u