Wood Block Reindeer Craft

Creating a wood block reindeer craft is a joyful way to spread holiday cheer and get creative with your decorations. This DIY project involves transforming simple wooden blocks into adorable reindeer figures that can be displayed on your mantel or as a cute centerpiece. You can customize your reindeer with paint, glitter, or even accessorize them with tiny scarves or bells. It's a fun activity for the whole family, perfect for a cozy winter evening filled with laughter and creativity. Give those wooden blocks a festive makeover and bring a touch of whimsical charm to your home this holiday season with these delightful reindeer crafts!

Supplies

Here’s what you need to make these easy wood block reindeer:

• Wood blocks cut from a 2×4. The ones in these photos are 6 inches tall and 8 inches tall.
• Wood coasters. Also known as wood slices, you can find these at most craft stores. The ones I used are from Walmart and are 3.5-4 inches in diameter.
• Small faux Christmas branches. You’ll use these to make antlers. The ones I used are from Walmart.
• Red, white and black craft paint. The small inexpensive bottles work great.
• Small foam paintbrush
• Small detail paintbrush (a cheap one is just fine)
• Ribbon

You’ll also need sandpaper and a hot glue gun. When working with hot glue, I recommend using silicone finger caps to protect your fingers.

How To Make Wood Block Reindeer

Before you start, make sure you’ve cut the 2×4 into whatever height you’d like and sanded it to remove any splinters. You can purchase short lengths of 2×4 at home improvement stores for a couple of dollars. After you’ve paid for the wood, ask an employee at the store to cut it for you to whatever lengths you’d like. My reindeer are 8 inches tall and 6 inches tall.

Paint The Nose

Begin by painting a wood coaster red using a small foam paintbrush. Leave a border of unpainted wood around the outside edge if desired. Allow the red paint to dry – you can use a hair dryer on low to speed this process. Then add a few dots of white paint. The easiest way to do this is to dip the end of a small paintbrush in white paint and then use it to “stamp” dots on the nose. Paint a curved line beneath the dots if desired.

Attach The Nose

Once the paint on the nose is completely dry, hot glue the nose to the 2×4 block as shown below. When the block is standing up, the nose should be near the bottom of the block. Hold the nose in place for a minute until the glue cools and adheres.

Paint The Eyes

Next, add small circles in black paint for eyes. The easiest way to do this is to use the end of the foam paintbrush as a stamp – dip it in black paint and “stamp” on the eyes. Then use the small paintbrush to add eyelashes if desired. Finally, use the end of the small paintbrush to “stamp” on small white dots on the eyes. Note: if you make a mistake or don’t like how the eyes look, allow them to dry and then sand them off and try again.

Add Antlers

To create antlers, start by bending the stem of the faux branches at a 90 degree angle, as shown below:

Place the branches on top of the wood block and decide where you’d like them positioned.

Place a generous line of hot glue across the top of the block and glue down the first branch. Hold it in place until it’s adhered (about a minute).

Then repeat with more hot glue and the other branch. Use plenty of glue.

Finish With A Bow

Tie ribbon into a bow and glue it on top of the block. The bow will hide the stems. Position the branches as desired, and you are finished! (I removed the pinecones from the branches at this point because I didn’t like how they looked.)