Silver Glitter Santa Figurine

By: Debra Quartermain for STYROFOAM Brand Foam

This elegant sparkling Santa figurine is adorned with crystal snowflakes and silver gems. You can surround him with a tray of silver balls for an extraordinary Christmas centerpiece.

Materials:

STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam:
- 9" x 4" Cone
- 3" Egg
Cardstock: white 8-1/2" x 11", four sheets; 6" square metallic silver
Two Sheets White tissue paper
Decorative snowflakes: white glitter, 2"; silver, two 1-1/2"
Silver ball ornament, 1-1/2"
Shiny silver craft wire: 19-gauge, 24" length; 22-gauge, 12" length
Brads, two each: silver snowflake; 4mm black
Heat-activated adhesive crystals and applicator
Trims: white marabou, 1-1/2 yds.; silver braid, 14" length; silver ribbon, 3/8" x 1/3 yd.
White/iridescent glitter: chunky; ultrafine
2 cotton balls
Cosmetic blush
Serrated knife
Candle stub or paraffin
Pencil
Dry-embossing stylus and embossing pad
Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
Thick, white craft glue
Laminate paper glue
Waxed paper
Ruler
Wooden skewer
Medium flat paintbrush
Disposable palette
Water basin
Paper towels
Scissors
Pattern

Instructions:

Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut 1/2"-thick slice from wide end of foam egg and narrow slice from narrow end; discard slices. Insert wooden skewer into one end of egg.
Line work surface with waxed paper. Holding egg by skewer and foam cone by bottom edge, use brush to apply generous coat of laminating glue to entire surface of each shape. Wrap shapes with tissue paper and apply another coat of laminating glue. While wet, sprinkle bottom half of cone with glitter; let pieces dry on waxed paper.
To make coat, see Diagram 1. Fold back top corners of one sheet of white cardstock and wrap around foam cone, aligning folded edges at center front; see Diagram 2. Brush laminating glue over outside of coat and sprinkle bottom 4" with glitter; let dry.
Cut pattern pieces, except shoes, from white cardstock or folded white cardstock as indicated. Cut shoes as indicated.
For beard, cut three pattern pieces from folded white cardstock as follows: entire beard A, B and C for bottom layer; middle layer A and B combined; top layer A only. Cut slits in each layer along long dashed lines as indicated; curl ends around pencil or paintbrush handle. Glue layers together.
Using thin line of glue, glue cape pieces together between dots A and B shown on pattern. Glue hand pieces together in pairs, leaving straight edge open as indicated; gently stuff each hand with cotton ball. Glue hat pieces together along edges; leave bottom edge open.
Slide cape down over top of cone, matching cone tip with top edge of cape; glue to secure. Glue narrow end of foam egg head to top of cone body.
Slide open edge of hat 1/4" down over head; glue to secure. Brush cape and hat with laminating glue; sprinkle with glitter. Let dry completely.
Use stylus and embossing pad to score lines in both mustache pieces as indicated on patterns. Layer and glue mustache pieces together; curl ends of each piece around pencil or paintbrush handle.
Lightly brush embossed areas of mustache, and random streaks on beard, with laminating glue; sprinkle with ultrafine glitter. Let dry.
Insert black brads into head for eyes; use fingertip to apply blush to cheeks and around eyes. Glue beard to face below eyes; glue mustache over top of beard.
Glue open ends of hands into bottom of cape on each side of body. Glue marabou trim around bottom edge of cape, along front edge of coat on both sides, and around bottom edge of hat, including back of neck.
Follow manufacturer's instructions to apply heat-activated crystals randomly to hat and front of body. Apply one crystal to center of each snowflake brad and glitter snowflake. Insert snowflake brads into front of coat for buttons.
Cut two 2" and two 4" wire lengths; curl wires around pencil. Glue shoe pieces together in pairs, sandwiching 2" wire lengths between shoes at tips. Gently curl wire ends around stylus. Apply one crystal to tip of each shoe. Glue shoes to bottom of body.
Glue silver snowflakes together, sandwiching 4" wires between them; curl wires and adhere to tip of hat.
Cut ribbon in half. Tie one piece through ornament loop and the other through the glitter snowflake. Glue ornament ribbon to one hand.
Fold 19-gauge wire in half and twist. Gently untwist silver braid trim slightly and insert wire into center of trim. Spot glue trim at both ends of wire; let dry. Curl trim into shepherd's hook as shown. Hang snowflake ribbon from curved end. Glue hook into hand.