This is a cute, unique Christmas door decoration that can be made without too much bother or artistic ability. It recycles that empty bleach bottle, too. I've gotten lots of comments about how cute he is.
First remove the label from an empty and clean bleach bottle. Then using scissors or an Exacto knife cut the bleach bottle in half length wise through the handle so that each half has half of the handle and half of the spout.
Make the hat. Cut the red felt into two triangular pieces with a base of 9 1/2 inches and height of 15 inches. Sew the long edges together and then turn the stitched side in. Cut 9 pieces of yarn 4 1/2 inches long. Fold the yarn pieces in half. Place the looped end on the tip end of the hat with the loop extending about 1/2 inch on to the tip. Tie in place with another short piece of yarn. Glue the hat in place along the side to side seam line on the outside of the bottle.
Next make the hair and beard. You will be making 41 looped yarn pieces. The measurements are for the length of the loop not the length of the yarn piece needed.
You will need:
Make the loops by winding the yarn around something the correct length or by folding back and forth using 20 loops for each. Secure in the center of the loops with one pipe cleaner, twisting to hold tightly.
Now punch 7 holes about 1/2 inch apart, 1/2 inch from the edge, down the sides of the bottle. Punch ten holes across the bottom of the bottle about 1 1/4 inches from the bottom. Punch 16 holes across the middle of the bottle directly under the bottom edge of the hat.
Make the face. Glue the flesh colored felt to the bottle between the bottom of the hat and the holes on the bottom and sides. Cut to fit. You may do the next steps of making the face now or wait until you've attached the hair. Glue the pompom 2 1/2 inches from the edge of the bottom of the hat and 4 3/4 inches from the side edges for the nose. Glue the two google eyes above and to each side of the nose.
Now do the hair and beard. Insert one of the 2 1/2 inch loops in each of the 16 holes under the bottom edge of the hat. Twist the ends together in the back. Starting with the 4 inch loop going down the sides, put first the 4 inch then 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,and finally the 10 inch loops in each of the 7 side holes on each side of the face. Now insert the ten 12 inch loops in the ten holes across the bottom.
You need some way to hang your Santa. I sewed a cafe curtain ring to the back top of the hat. You could just sew on a yarn loop.
Now you have a cute Santa for your door to welcome your friends!
By Kim D.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Last year I went to Florida to a Christmas bazaar and I saw Santa Claus heads made with wool and fabric from detergent and liquid soap bottles. Does someone know how to make them? Over here in Germany they don't know these decorations. I want to make some of them for my friends. I apologize for my english and I hope you cam help me find instructions on how to make these funny santa faces.
Hi Schluppi...
I don't know the answer to your question about the Santa heads. I just want you to know that your English is very good and you do not have anything to apologize for!!! I hope someone does post the answer.
Hello Schluppi,
Here is a link that has a picture and the directions for the Santa Head made from a bleach bottle. I think this is the one you are looking for. Well, I was having trouble adding the picture, but it looks as if it is showing up now. But go to the link below for the directions.
Harlean from Arkansas
(Sent in the contest form)
Santa Head Made from a Bleach Bottle
Materials needed
1 bleach bottle
Large piece of Red Felt
1 sheet of pink felt
2 google eyes
Cut bleach bottle in half. Cut so that the handle is in front of you and cut sideways. Take the half without the handle and hot glue the pink felt on the bottle for the face you can glue on the pompom and the eyes. Cut two large Triangles from Red felt. Glue to top half of bleach bottle for hat. Two make the fur on the hat Take the white yarn and wrap it around a three inch long piece of cardboard 25 times. Slip off the cardboard and tie in the center with a small piece of yarn. Now with your sisscors punch a hole in the Bleach bottle below the red felt and push the two ends of the middle tying yarn through the Hole. Tie a knot in the yarn to keep it from coming back out. It all depends on how thick you want the fur as to how many you make.. Make a white Pom Pom for the tip of his hat.
Take 8 inch piece of cardboard wrap it 25 times and tie in the middle and tuck up under red Pompom nose in the same manner as for the the fur. This makes Santa's moustache Use the same techinque to make Santa's Beard. It will take three rows of poufs to make his beard. Good Luck and have fun. You can use sparkle yarn and you could add some rosy cheeks with a little bit of blush. You could also make Mrs. Claus by make poufs of grey yarn to make her hair. Bend some wire into a pair of glasses and add a big bow at the bottom to finish her off.
By Debra in Colorado
I have seen Mr. and mrs. Claus made from recycled bleach bottles. I have the Pattern for Santa, but not for Mrs. Claus. Can someone help me out?
email address: sass.evans AT imagewireless.ca
Thank You for posting these. I made seversl years ago. Now wanting to make a new batch.
I was wondering if you could please send me the pattern for Mrs. Claus bleach bottle. My mother wanted the set of both and I made her the Bleach Bottle Santa Claus and now she wants the Mrs. Claus. My email address is jeremyw_jones@yahoo.com. I would appreciated it very much and I will give you the credit for it. Thank you. Have a wonderful day.
can you please send instructions for claus and mrs claus to kathyhodges@bellsouth.net
I was wondering if you could please resend me the pattern for Bleach Bottle Mrs. Claus, I didn't receive it and I was wondering if you please resend it. I would appreciate it very much. Thank you and God Bless. My email address is jeremyw_jones@yahoo.com.
Does anyone have the picture and simple specific instructions for how to make a Santa face with beard using yarn, beard, etc.
When younger, we made them at a ladies' church circle. They were a huge hit! Thanks.
By Rita A
Hi. Is there a chart which shows the holes on the bottle and placement of the beard?
The original craft was posted in 2006 and the member is no longer active on our site.
There is a hand drawn guide to the hole positioning on that post, toward the bottom which might be what you are looking for.
www.myfrugalchristmas.com/
What other kinds of jugs can you use to make the"bleach bottle" Santa heads?
Can you use milk jugs?
Most plastic bottles work well when making this craft. You just need to adapt the bottle to the craft. Milk jugs are a bit larger so you will use the same patters and just adapt the santa image to the bottle. You can even use old coke bottles to make these with.
You can use ready made tea jugs, juice jugs, punch jugs, and water jugs to complete this project!
You can use almost any bottle but one of the reasons most people opt for the bleach bottle is because the plastic is sturdy and can hold the decorations while some jugs/bottles may be too thin and would not work well.
Another reason is because there are instructions posted on YouTube and all over the Internet while you will have to figure out your own instructions for other size bottles. I'm talking about how much thread and sizes to cut.
If you are not comfortable doing this type of figuring then maybe you could find a similar size bottle/container so you could still use the 'bottle head' instructions.
Here are some links to check out (sometimes one set of instructions work better than others):
www.thriftyfun.com/
kristiilockart.blogspot.com/
There are quite a few YouTube sites if you like visual instructions.
I an from Scotland U.K. I printed the "Bleach Bottle Santa Door Decoration", but unfortunately I have been unable to find any gallon bleach containers. Please has anyone got any solutions or suggestions, please? Thank you.
By gillian from Scotland U.K
Perhaps you could find a gallon size plastic vinegar jug. It should give about the same results as they are fairly close in size. I made several of these about twenty-five years ago and gave them as gifts during the Christmas holidays. I still have mine and it has held up really well. I hope this helps in your search for plastic jug/bottle.
When we were making apple juice we purchased gallon jugs from the local water bottling plant. These should work as well as bleach botles.
I have made several Santa Claus projects. What I would like to know is how do I make a Mrs. Santa Claus from a bleach bottle?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
By Charlotte
Make a Santa out of an old bleach bottle, an easy Christmas project for kids!
= Kid Tested!
You will need:
1 bleach bottle
white yarn
12 by 12 flesh felt
glue
2 eyes (black felt, buttons, or googly eyes)
Tool to make small holes in plastic bottle
Wire
1/4 yard of red material
14 inches of curly chenille
Any material for a ladies collar
Step 1: Cut the bottle in half. First make the man Santa. You decide the size of face you want and make a circle with a pencil.
Step 2: Make plenty of holes all around the circle.
Step 3: Cut the flesh felt in a circle and glue to the bottle.
Step 4: Now start inserting the white yarn, leaving 2 inches on the holes and 1 inch of yarn on the holes. String the yarn in and out of each hole,(this makes the beard) and the hair line..
Step 5: Add on the eyes and mouth if you have one. Make sure you have yarn going across for the mustache. You may have to cut the mustache to your liking. Take the red material and make a triangle hat. At the tip of the hat add on a bell.
Step 6: Take the red felt and cover the back side of the bottle. Stretch a piece of wire across the back so you can hang it up. Attach the wire to each side real tight.
Step 7: Now you glue on the red hat and glue on the white chenille for the RIM of the hat.
Dothe same steps for Mrs. Santa leaving out the following: No beard, no mustache. And the last thing for Mrs. Santa is to add on the collar.
Santa and Mrs. Santa can stand by them selves or they can hang on the wall or door.
I am looking for a pattern for Santa and Mrs. Claus made from bleach bottles.
By Lynn S. from Park Hills, MO
Thank you for sharing your instructions on how to make the bleach bottle Santa. What size bleach bottle does one use and what size yarn ( I know nothing about yarn)? Thank you for your time.
By Diane B
Thank you for sharing your instructions on how to make the bleach bottle Santa. What size bleach bottle does one use and what size yarn ( I know nothing about yarn)? Thank you for your time.
By Diane B
