During the pandemic when I was looking for lots of fun and different projects to keep me occupied, I came across an amazing giant nutcracker pattern, a 6 1/2 foot tall nutcracker to be exact! I decided to give it a try and make a few changes to make it my own. I loved the outcome and he’s still one of my absolute favourite Christmas decorations. This is one of those things that really wows people whether you decide to put it outside or use it as part of your interior holiday decor. If using outside, I’d definitely recommend spraying the whole thing with a clear outdoor sealer to protect from the elements. I’d also only put it outside in a sheltered area like a covered front porch that doesn’t get a lot of wind, snow/rain. If you plan to place it outdoors, I’d also recommend laminating the face pieces. I used printer paper which would definitely not stand up to the elements. This project can be completed with a very small budget, especially if you have some of the materials laying around the house like I did. I already had a piece of Sonotube and the PVC pipes from previous home improvement projects. Most of the remaining supplies were purchased at Dollarama. If you are located in western Canada or the USA, you’ll be able to find similar items at Dollar Tree or Dollar General. Great Canadian Dollar Store has lots of really nice craft items as well but I do find them to be a little higher priced.
To create your giant nutcracker you will need:
- 4 foot concrete form – 12 inch diameter
- 12 inch round of plywood for the bottom of his body
- 14 inch round of plywood for the base
- 4 – 6 inch pieces of 2×4 lumber
- 8 foot piece of 4 inch diameter white PVC pipe (from this you will cut 2-28 inch pieces for his arms and 2-30 inch pieces for his legs)
- 2 PVC pipe end caps for his epaulettes
- 2 – 5 inch diameter styrofoam balls
- Craft paint (I used flesh, red, black and grey)
- Medium soft bristled paint brushes
- Screws (sheet metal)
- Roll of white fur
- Black felt
- Black plastic magnetic locker organizers for the foot part of his boots
- Various tassels, trims, jute rope, etc. according to your taste to decorate the nutcracker
- Hot glue gun and glue
- Paper, printer and scissors to print and cut out face pieces
- Mod Podge to glue face on
- Blush to create his rosy cheeks
- Rubber door stopper for nose
- Clear spray sealer
Directions:
- Cut out 14 inch plywood round and paint black. Screw on two 6 inch pieces of 2×4 as shown in picture. Turn right side up so 2×4’s are facing upwards. Slide legs (plumbing pipes) on to 2×4’s.
- Cut out 12 inch plywood round and screw on two 6 inch pieces of 2×4 as shown in picture. Screw or glue the wood round inside the bottom of the concrete form (body) with 2×4’s facing downwards.
- Slide the body piece onto the legs.
- Halfway down the body, screw on the arms. Place end caps on the shoulders for epaulettes and glue in place if necessary. They may be tight enough to stay firmly in place without glue. You should be able to reach down in the top of his head to do this step.
- Paint the legs black and grey (I did the bottom half black for his boots and the top half grey for his pants), paint the arms and the bottom half of the body red and paint the upper half black and flesh (so you end up with the top 1/4 of the body black, the middle 1/4 flesh and the bottom half of body red). You will need several coats of each colour. Let dry thoroughly between coats.
- Paint the styrofoam balls flesh colour. Once dry, hot glue them onto the ends of the arms. Glue black felt strips where the grey and black paint meet. This creates his boot cuffs.
- Print face from template and cut out. Attach with Mod Podge. Paint door stopper flesh tone and glue to face as shown in picture. Apply blush with a makeup brush.
- Cut out a narrow strip of white fur and glue onto face for beard. Glue on a wider strip of fur around back of head and sides for hair. Glue on remaining embellishments of choice using picture as a guide to decorate his hat and jacket. Glue on magnetic locker organizers to finish off his boots. Spray entire nutcracker with a clear sealer if desired.
