Christmas in July ~ How to Make Your Own Rudy Reindeer Sign

French Ethereal

5 years ago

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Rudy and one other of Santa’s Reindeer out in my best friends’ garden.

Hello and welcome to this month’s $10 on the 10th challenge, friends! Thank you to our host Tammy of Patina and Paint for coming up with this fun idea for this month’s theme ~ Christmas in July!

Today I am sharing my Reindeer designs that I used to make and sell to around our neighborhood in California, in front of grocery stores on weekends, and to many friends back in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s for a little extra holiday money…

The top photograph was sent to me this winter by my best friend Janet. She still has these two reindeer some 20 years later… A little faded but still cute!!!

Supplies you will need

plywood
sandpaper
latex craft paints – brown for body, red for collar, white, black and tan (in ears, or use brown with white mixed to lighten).
paint brushes (large for the body, smaller for face and legs and tail detail)
wood glue
silver and/or colored glitter (for jingle bells – glue on over silver paint)
old fence board
surveyor’s stake
wood screws
marine varnish – to protect your Reindeer from the weather
Drill and drill bits – for pilot holes for screws

When I was making these Reindeer and other holiday signs, I began with a Grade 1 sheet of thick plywood.

Back then those sheets cost about $32 and I could make quite a few decorator signs out of each sheet. I used every piece of wood I had to decorate these Reindeer; Santa and Mrs. Claus, little ghosts and the pumpkins I made.

I made a lot of tea signs back then. They were all a lot of fun to make!

With the wood supply shortage this year, that same sheet of plywood could cost about $82 each… So, use old scraps you have lying around in the garage… 😉 Or buy the smaller plywood sheets sold in stand-up bins at the big box stores.

You can also use an old fence board and a surveyor’s stake to make a fun Christmas-y sign under your Reindeer and the surveyor’s stake will hold up both. These Reindeer are fun to stand out in the yard (or in a flower pot with a Christmas tree behind). The old fence boards were what I used with my tea signs, as you can see.

How to make a Rudy Reindeer

Begin with drawing out a Reindeer shape on paper and transfer to plywood. Draw out the Reindeer’s harness, jingle bells and nose on scrap plywood.
Cut out plywood pieces with a scroll saw, jig saw or hand saw.
Sand each piece smooth along all edges. Wipe down with a damp towel, let dry.
Using latex craft paint, paint each piece letting dry between layers of paint. Add eyes, a smile, hooves and a painted tail and fetlocks, if you like!
Paint the harness, jingle bells and nose and let dry ~ drill pilot holes and screw onto the body with 3/4″ – 1″ screws.
Sprinkle on glitter over glue on jingle bells, let dry. Use glitter wherever you’d like! Rudy noses look especially cute with red glitter!!!
Drill holes in body and screw onto the surveyor’s stake.
Paint a separate fence board (if you desire) with whatever fun saying you’d like to say for Christmas (or holiday). Example: “North Pole this way!” (with arrow pointing)
Varnish your signs on all edges, front and back with non-yellowing marine varnish (used to be about $45/gallon; it goes a long way!)