How make miniature — a quick note to anchor this piece for readers.
How make miniature: Quick notes
Christmas crafts that use natural materials from the garden are always my favourite. I love how simple this miniature reindeer ornament is, and how easily you can adapt it to make other log animal ornaments. Let me show you how to make it!
Expand your miniature garden menagerie to include pets or favourite animals, like this twig reindeer. Consider tiny spruce branches for ears or furry antlers, and use tiny Christmas balls or lights cut from ornaments to decorate them.
You will surely find an abundance of miniature craft supplies at your local craft store. Just look for the miniature tree decorating section.
This project comes to us straight from the Miniature Garden Guru herself, Janit Calvo. Janit is the author of the wildly successful book Gardening in Miniature.
This post will cover…
Tips for Making Miniature Log Animals
- Try to work with the same tree or shrub for all the different sizes you need. It will look more cohesive–and cuter!
- Use a hot glue gun and glue sticks to quickly attach the critter together.
- Keep the decorations simple to let the animal’s details stand out.
- Add an eye hook to the top of your twig reindeer to turn it into a Christmas tree ornament.
- Make extra twiggy creations to sneak one into your friend’s miniature gardens (random acts of reindeer?)
You can make all kinds of miniature wood sculptures with these techniques.
How to Make a Miniature Reindeer Ornament
The original reindeer is rather simple, which I like for the natural and rustic look. You can also choose to paint your reindeer or dress it up with other materials such as felt, tinsel, ribbon, or pom poms.
Materials
Make It!
Use branch cutters (long-handled pruners) so you can get some nice, straight cuts of wood without any effort. Stand on the end of the branch to keep it steady while making small pieces or cutting on the diagonal.
Use trigs with natural branching for the antlers and tail.
Make a rough layout of all the pieces you need first. Remember the tiny details like the neck and tail.
Cut twigs on a diagonal to fit into each other seamlessly. Drill holes where the smaller twigs will fit into the branches with an appropriately-sized drill bit.
Sand the edges of each piece. Assemble by adding some wood glue or hot glue into the holes and inserting the twigs.
Trim the ends of the legs if necessary to make it stand properly.
If using as an ornament, add an eye hook to the back of the reindeer.
For more on Miniature Gardening, get Janit’s best-selling book, Gardening in Miniature: Create Your Own Tiny Living World.
More Holiday-Themed Miniatures
Janit Calvo is an artist, miniaturist, gardener, and entrepreneur. Janit resides with her husband in a full-size house and garden in Seattle. Inspired by her first miniature garden’s long life and easy maintenance, Janit started Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center in 2001. She has won many garden and miniature show awards, and her gardens have appeared in the Seattle Times, Dig Magazine, and Dollhouse Miniature Magazine.
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