Having a hard time finding the perfect Christmas gift? This Reindeer Sweatshirt and Reindeer Gift Bag may be just the ticket. Besides, they’re fun to make.

 Reindeer Sweatshirt

Materials Needed:

• Light-colored sweatshirt
• 1 18″ by 24″ piece of lightweight cardboard
• Masking tape
• Contact paper stencil (8″ by 11″ or larger, depending on shirt size)
• Fabric paint (light brown, dark brown, red, white, black, and green)
• Paintbrushes
• 5 sponges (for the face, ears, nose, cheeks, and eyes)
• Permanent black marker (for mouth and eyebrows)
• White distilled vinegar (in a spray bottle)
• 1/2 yard (2″ wide) plaid ribbon
• Small bell
• Small safety pin

Instructions:

1. Prepare Your Shirt:
   Place a piece of cardboard inside the sweatshirt to keep paint from bleeding through to the back. Use masking tape to secure the arms to the back, pulling the front of the shirt smooth.

2. Create the Reindeer Face:
   Cut an oval out of the contact paper to make a stencil for the reindeer’s face. Remove the backing and place the stencil on the shirt, leaving room above the oval for the hand-print antlers. Smooth the contact paper flat on the shirt. Use a sponge to paint the oval light brown. Let the paint dry before carefully removing the stencil.

3. Add the Antlers:
   Squeeze dark brown paint onto your hands and rub them together until your fingers and palms are completely covered. Place your hands on top of the oval, pressing firmly to create the antlers. Clean the paint from your hands with alcohol.

4. Paint the Face Details:
   Use a sponge cut into an almond shape to stamp the light brown ears onto the shirt below the antlers. Use a round sponge (about 1 1/2″) to stamp a red nose in the center of the face. For cheeks, mix red and white paint to create a pink color, and stamp circles on either side of the nose.

5. Finish the Face:
   Cut small ovals from a sponge to stamp white eyes. Add smaller green circles inside the white eyes. Use the end of a paintbrush dipped in black to add pupils. Use white paint to add highlights to the cheeks, eyes, and nose. Draw a mouth and eyebrows with a black permanent marker.

6. Set the Paint:
   Once the shirt is completely dry, set the paint by spraying it with vinegar and pressing it with a hot iron over a brown paper bag.

7. Add the Ribbon and Bell:
   Thread a small bell through the center of the plaid ribbon and tie it into a bow. Pin or hand stitch the bow around the reindeer’s neck to complete the look.

Reindeer Gift Bag

Materials Needed:

• 2 sheets brown fun foam (for the antlers)
• 1 brown paper bag
• 1 (2″) red pompom (for the nose)
• Acrylic paint (pink)
• Sponge
• 1″ wiggly eyes
• Permanent marker (black for the mouth)
• 1/2 yard (2″ wide) plaid ribbon
• 1″ to 2″ bell
• Small sprig of Spanish moss (optional)
• Holly berries (optional)
• Glue gun

Instructions:

1. Make the Antlers:
   Trace your hand on the brown fun foam. Cut out the antler shapes and glue them to the top of the brown paper bag.

2. Add the Nose and Eyes:
   Glue a red pompom in the center of the bag to make the reindeer’s nose. Use a sponge to paint pink cheeks on the bag. Glue on wiggly eyes and draw the mouth with a black permanent marker.

3. Decorate the Gift Bag:
   Tie a bow with the plaid ribbon and glue it to the bottom of the bag. Attach the bell to the ribbon. For added decoration, glue a small sprig of Spanish moss and holly berries between the antlers.