2. Pinecone Reindeer Figures
If you have a pine tree nearby, you already own the hardest part of this project. Pinecones have a natural, layered texture that reads as fur once you add a face and legs.
What you need: clean, dry pinecones, tan or brown felt, small twigs, googly eyes, a red pom-pom or a small wooden bead, and a glue gun. A slice of a small branch makes a sturdy base if you want the reindeer to stand.
Cut a small oval from felt for the head and glue it to the wide end of the pinecone. Add eyes and a nose. Break twigs into short lengths for legs and push them gently between the scales, or glue them to the underside. For antlers, use thin twigs with a small fork already in them, which looks more natural than anything you can build by hand.
Time: 20 to 30 minutes. Difficulty: beginner.
These stand nicely on a bookshelf, a sideboard, or along a table runner. Group three of different sizes for a small vignette. If your pinecones came from outside, bake them on a foil-lined tray at a low temperature for about 30 minutes first to dry them out and discourage anything living inside.