Santa(s) Coming to Town

Each year I 'do a run' of  some type of Christmas decoration, mostly Santas. This year the Santa is seated and has legs that can dangle over the edge of a shelf or table.

Santa School - Class of 2015. Twenty made so far and maybe time to make a few more.

I find it best to adopt a 'factory' mentality and set up a production line. I keep an eye out for materials and supplies, last year in the Christmas sales I came across stalks of white bells which could be cut up and used for the ends of the hats. 

Bodies are traced out, stitched and cut out.

Sometimes you need to weight the body, you can buy plastic pellets, however, I mostly use cheap rice or sometimes aquarium rocks. The body has rice at the bottom and then polyester fibre fill for the top.

 The completed bodies.

Legs are made and boots painted on, left to dry and then painted with polyurethane to make them shiny. I find it easier to peg them to drying rack.

The finished jackets, for this version of Santa the hands are sewn into the sleeves and the trimming done. Once again, the jackets are made in stages.

Then the hats.

Back to the legs to add the trim. 

Final stages need to be completed by hand. The production line moves to the lounge room and is completed as I watch TV.

Lastly draw on the eyes, add some blush for rosy cheeks, sew on a beard and moustache, stitch the trim around the hat and Santa is finished.