Santa Door Wreath, Mantel Decoration This craft is of AVERAGE difficulty. It is for those with some sewing experience. MATERIALS: FOR DOOR SIZE -- 26"w x 36"h (see pic) 30" x 40" x 1/2" and 22' x 22' x 1/4" foam-core boards 72"-wide felt -- 5/8 yd. red and 3/8 yd. each of dark, medium and light green and 1/3 yd. each of white and black two 9' x 12" sheets of pale pink felt for face and hands, and 1 sheet each of bright pink for cheeks and gold for belt buckle 27 red 3/4" buttons with a shank back glue stick white glue clear silicone glue polyester fiberfill Scotchguard FOR MANTEL SIZE -- 13"w x 18"h 15' x 20" x 1/2" and 12' x 12" x 1/4" foam-core boards 72"-wide felt-- 1/3 yd. of red, 1/8 yd. each of dark, medium and light green, 1/4 yd. each of white and black one 9" x 12" sheet each of pale pink, bright pink and gold felt 14 red 1/4" buttons with shank back clear silicone glue polyester fiberfill Scotchguard FOR DOLL SIZE -- 6 1/2"w x 9"h 72"-wide felt -- 1/4 yd of red and 1/8 yd. each of dark, medium and light green two 9" x 12" sheets each of white and black and 1 sheet each of pale pink, bright pink and gold felt 8 red 3/8" buttons with shank back clear silicone glue polyesterfiberfill Scotchguard DIRECTIONS: (for door and mantel sizes) ** READ ALL DIRECTIONS BEFORE STARTING ** 1. Trace the actual-size large and small holly leaf patterns separately (the small leaf is the area inside the large one). Cut out leaves in cardboard to make sturdy templates for tracing. 2. Enlarge the Santa Pattern on a large sheet of brown paper (the pattern is shown without the leaves to make enlarging easier for you), following these directions. Also enlarge the mustache and beard pieces separately and cut out. From the enlarged pattern, trace off the shapes for the shaded leaf support ring, Santa's belly (extending under the ring), arm, hand, cuff, leg, feet, face, hat, hatband, pompom, nose, cheek, buckle, belt and eyes; cut out the pattern shapes. 3. CUTTING (see photo for colors): From the 1/2" foam-core board, cut the enlarged Santa pattern (doot and/or mantel size) around the outer edges. From the 1/4" board, cut the shaded leaf support ring. From the felt, cut 2 each of mustache/beard pieces, 1 face, 2 eyes, 1 buckle and 1 belt; 30 larger leaf pieces in each color green for door size (14 of each color in small size for mantel Santa). Now cut out the remaining pattern pieces, 1 1/2" outside the edges all around, to allow room for stuffing with the fiberfill and overlapping board. 4. HOLLY LEAVES: Match the leaves in pairs by color, edges flush. Topstitch close to the edges all around, leaving an opening at the stem end for stuffing. Sew a straight line of stitching down the center, stopping 1" short of the tip and base (1/2" for the smaller leaves). Stuff firmly with fiberfill. Stitch straight across the base to complete; set aside. ** For the doll-size wreath, see the separate directions following these ** 5. MUSTACHE/BEARD: Match the pieces in pairs, edges flush. Topstitch close to the edges, leaving an opening at the top; stuff. Stitch the opening closed; set aside. 6. LEAF SUPPORT RING: Cover the ring on one (top) side (around the edges) with the scrap pieces of green or red felt; set aside. 7. COVERING THE SANTA BOARD (use the photo as a guide): Sew the eyes to the face. Sew the cheeks to the face around the top edges; stuff; sew the bottom edge. Sew the nose with a little stuffing in it. Affix the face to the board with the glue stick. 8. Sew the belt, then the buckle to the red belly piece. Place over the board and glue down the edges, leaving an opening between the legs; stuff with enough fiberfill to make a nice round belly, then bring red felt around the board at the bottom and glue in place on back. (The other rough edges of the red belly piece will be covered with the wreath ring and arm/leg pieces). 9. Continue to glue/stuff/glue the open edges for all the remaining body pieces, clipping the "seam allowance" where necessary when you overlap the curved board edges; turn under the edges where the felt pieces meet. Do the hat before the brim and pompom; the arms and hands before the cuffs. The top of the boots will be covered by the wreath. 10. Glue the felt-covered leaf ring to the Santa body (see photo), using white glue; let dry. 11. Temporarily put the mustache/beard pieces in place and mark the ring on either side of them. Remove the beard. Sew the red button "berries" to 9 leaves in each color, varying the button placement (see photo). Using clear silicone glue, cover the ring with the leaves (except in beard area), alternating the colors and overlapping the edges to create a full wreath. Make sure the "berries" are evenly distibuted. Also, use straight pins to affix the leaf tips to the adjacent leaves. 12. Using silicone, glue the bottom beard, then the middle, then the mustache in place. 13. Spray the entire wreath with Scotchguard to waterproof the felt. Affix the hanger at the back for door size. Affix a stand at back for mantel size; for the doll, see below. Doll-Size Santa Wreath MATERIALS: See materials for the full-size wreath; you will not need foam-core boards for the doll. Also see note regarding red felt ** above) DIRECTIONS: 1. ENLARGING AND CUTTING: Follow Steps 1, 2, 3 above, with these exceptions: Substitute 2 layers of felt in place of the foam-core Santa shape and 2 layers for the ring; do not add extra seam allowance for these 2 shapes; add only 1/2" extra seam allowance for all the other shapes requiring it. Cut 8 each of the color felt leaves in the small size. 2. Make only the mustache (see Step 5 above). 3. Match the ring pieces, edges flush, and topstitch around the inner and outer edges. 4. Follow Steps 7 and 8 above, topstitching the face to one of the Santa felt shapes (instead of gluing) and hand-sewing instead of gluing between the legs after stuffing. 5. Follow Steps 9 to 12, sewing by hand and turning under the seam allowances after the stuffing; slipstitch the edges for a clean finish. Topstitch or hand-sew the remaining Santa shape to the back of the doll, adding enough stuffing to makeit soft and huggable. Spray with Scotchguard to keep it clean a little longer.