DIY Life Size Giant Nutcracker Soldier (super easy!!!)

This HUGE NUTCRACKER is not only easy to build, it is also easy to store once the holiday season is over.

Supplies:
Wood for nutcracker, 2 inx4inx8in cut into 4 12 inch pieces
Wood Glue
12” Pine Wood Round
18” Pine Wood Round*Cement Tube
PVC Pipe: You will need four, 4 in x 2ft pieces which will become he arms and legs
Nutcracker Socks: https://www.niceknotts.com
Two large, round, smooth, Christmas tree ornaments
Three sheets of gold glitter 18inx12-12.5 inch paper
One sheet of red glitter 18in x 12-12.5 inch*White fur for hair and beard: 32 in x 24 inch
1.5 yards of 50-60 inch wide red velvet fabric for coat and sleeves
1 yard of black velvet for Pants, collar, shoulder pads, pillow top
3yrds gold trim for coat trim
1 yrd trim for coat sleeve trim
Leather trim for belt (45 ins x 2.5ins)
4ft trim for pants
1.5 yrd trim for crown
1 yard fringe for shoulder pads
Four buttons for sleeve
Hot Glue gun
One Jenga Block
Staple gun (optional)
Paint for nutcracker base
Paint: white, blue, black, pink (blush), skin color
Paint primer
Drill
6 screws
Cardboard scraps for teeth and shoulder pads
Duck tape
Sheets of paper to stuff shoulder pads
Thick glue for decoupage
Spare belt buckle (optional)

Instructions:
1. Prime the cement tube and let dry
2. Measure 10 in. from the top of the tube to mark where the top of the head will be. Repeat process until you have drawn a circle all the way around the tube. The top will be where the crown will sit
3. Measure 20 in. down from the top of the tube to mark where the bottom of the head will be. Repeat until you have formed a circle around the tube
4. Place two of your 2ft 4in. PVC pipes onto the 12in. wood round
5. Wood glue your one 1 ft. wood plank into the center of the circle
6. Place two leg PVC pipes onto the 18 in. round.
7. Wood glue the two 1 inch wood planks and to the center of the circles
8. Using your hot glue/staple gun, cover one leg with the black velvet. Repeat this step for the second leg.
9. Hot glue the trim down the side of the leg where the velvet made a seam. Repeat this process for the second leg
10. Using the same process in number 8 above, use your red velvet to cover the two PVC pipes for your Nutcracker’s arms
11. Glue trim around one end of the arm, creating the cuff on the sleeve
12. Using one of your PVC pipes as a guide, place it on a piece of cardboard and trace two circles to make the shape for your Nutcracker’s shoulder pads
13. Ball up a couple sheets of paper and duck tape them to one side of each circle
14. Cut two small pieces of black velvet to cover each of the taped, padded circles. Hot glue or staple the fabric to the circles
15. Hot glue fringe around each shoulder pad
16. Place the 12 inch round into the bottom of nutcracker and screw it into place
17. Paint the nutcracker’s face. You may also chose to just paint on the skin but leave the face painting until you come to number 22 below
18. Paint the Jenga block (nose)
19. Paint the two large ornaments the same skin color. They will become the hands
20. Measure your nutcracker from its “chin” (the circle you drew at the 20inch mark) to the end of the tube. Cut your red velvet to fit this lower half. This will become the nutcracker’s coat 21. With the velvet side facing down on that 20inch line, hot glue or staple it to that line. Once fastened all the way around, flip the fabric down so that the velvet part is now right side up and is covering the lower half (body) of the tube
22. Paint the face/finish adding all of the face details
23. Gauge where you will like for arms to sit. Drill a hole into the arm and add a screw to the Nutcracker so that the arm can be attached and detached
24. Hot glue/staple the hair in place using the 10 inch line as your guide
25. Starting at the 20inch line, measure down 14 inches. This will be where the beard will stop. Cut a piece of fur 6inx9in. Put it aside.
26. Find a nutcracker mouth picture online and print it out. Separate the mouth and glue the top half to the Nutcracker.
27. Trim and glue the beard to fit the lower half of the mouth
28. Hot glue the mouth in place on top of the beard. Decoupage the mouth
29. Cut your red foam paper to your desired tapered shape and hot glue it to the front of the coat. This will become the undercoat
30. Create the belt and glue it in place over the red foam
31. Hot glue trim to the coat
32. Hot glue the large ornaments to the arms
33. Hot glue buttons to the sleeve cuff
34. Measure from the side of the mouth to the hairline/shoulder pad and design the collar. Cut it out of the black velvet and hot glue it into place
Music:
A Special Place for Us, Musician: Gerard Franklin, Album: Gerard Franklin, Source: https://www.vcg.com/ES_This Year-About Ivy
Home for Christmas-Home for the Holidays (Epidemic Sound)
Sleigh Ride Bossa-Timothy Infinite (Epidemic Sound)
Christmas Parade, Musician: Home for the Holidays, Album: Home for the Holidays, Source: https://www.vcg.com/