6. Wine Cork Reindeer
Save your corks through November and you will have a small army ready by December. Cork is soft, glues well, and gives these little figures a warm, natural look.
What you need: one cork per reindeer, four small twigs for legs, two tiny twigs for antlers, googly eyes or small beads, a red bead or pom-pom nose, and strong craft glue.
Stand the cork on end. Push or glue four twig legs into the bottom, trimming them so the reindeer sits level. Glue the nose to the front near the top, add eyes above it, and insert the antler twigs into the top. Let everything cure upright in an egg carton or a small cup.
Time: 15 minutes plus drying. Difficulty: beginner.
Line them up on a windowsill, tuck one into a place setting, or glue a loop on top and hang them. A thin coat of clear matte sealer keeps the cork from shedding. Leftover wine corks also make excellent little gift toppers when paired with a bottle of something nice.