Last year I watched a couple of YouTube videos of people making their own life size nutcrackers.  As fun as it was watching the tutorials I didn’t have a place in mind for one, but when a tutorial came up in my feed this year, I decided to make one this year.

Sharing the tutorial of the whole project would be extremely long, so I divided it into two parts.  Building the nutcracker and decorating it.

How to build a life size nutcracker – Part 1 – Building it

 

I gathered up items I had on hand, went to Dollar Tree and Lowes for the rest of the supplies.

Here is the list of things I used:

• cement tubing – I purchased an 8″ tubbing, 48″ long
• 3″ PVC pipe or sturdy tubbing – I used a 3″ cardboard tubbing – long enough for two 24″ pieces.
• power grab adhesive
• plywood for a base – I used a 16″ square
• plywood for small base – I used an 8″ circle
• 4 – 12″ 2 x 4
• 2 – quarter size dowel rod
• 1 – 12″ dime size dowel rod
• 2 Dollar Tree pool noodles
• 2 Dollar Tree cardboard mailbox gift boxes
• 2 Dollar Tree oval shape gift boxes
• 2 Dollar Tree plastic globes – I used a Halloween empty snow globe
• duct tape
• wood glue
• E6000
• wire clothes hanger
• a scrap piece of wood for the nose
• nutcracker face printout
• large piece of cardboard
• tape measure
• scissors
• caulk gun
• drill and drill hole bit
• circular saw
• table saw
• screws

Step one:  Making the arms and hands

Cut both noodles in half.

Slice two of the halves in half.

Tape a full-size noodle and two of the sliced noodles together, (like a hotdog in a bun).  Tape at the ends and one in the middle.

For the hands I used the two Halloween globes.

• removed the lid
• drilled a large hole to the center the size of the pole

I applied a good amount of E6000 around the dowel rod and lid to prevent the dowel rod from slipping out of the hole.

I made sure the dowel rod was the same size as the hole of the pool noodle for the perfect fit.  Once we start decorating it, I will permanently glue them into place.

The globes are the perfect size and shape for the hands, don’t you think?

Set the arms and hands to the side for now.

Step two:  Forming the leg base

Since my cement tubbing (which will be the nutcrackers body) is 8″ in diameter, I doubled up the measurements to form my base.  I cut out a 16″ square out of a piece of scrap wood.

Before we can set the base for the legs, we need to cut the 3″ tubing into two 24″ pieces.

Center the two cylinders and the two mailboxes on the 16 x 16 base.  Draw around the cylinders.

 

Attaching two pieces of 12″ 2 x 4s in the center of each of the circles to form the base for the legs with wood glue and screws.

For the feet of the nutcracker, I used the mailboxes.  I cut arches in both the top and bottom of the sealed end to form around the cylinder of the legs, I duct tape the flap part to keep shut.

The base, feet and legs are complete.

Step three:  Making the body base.

The base for the body is made similar as the leg base.  Place the round on top of the legs and trace around the leg cylinders.  Glue and attach the other 2x4s to the round base.

To keep the cement tubbing in place on the base.  I drilled a set hole in the base and glued 4 dowel rods to the top of the round with wood glue.

This is what the body base looks like.

I used a piece of cardboard the size of the cylinder and duct tape to enclose the top.

Placing the cylinder on the base.

Step four:  Adding the arms to the body

Lay the cylinder, place the arms beside it evenly with the bottom of the cylinder.  Mark on the cylinder where the duct tape wrapped arm sits.

Drill a hole with a hole bit the size of the dowel rod.

Drill another hole on the other side the same way.  Place the rod through the cylinder for the arm support.

I also drilled a hole in the arms through the duct tape, half the green noodle and half way through the red pool noodle.

Run the dowel rod through the drill hole of the pool noodles.

Step five:  Bending one arm

In order for the nutcracker to hold a staff I need to bend one of its arms.  I took one arm and cut off the part under the middle duct tape. To reinforce the arm, I wrapped another piece of duct tape.

To keep the arm bent, I used a wire clothes hanger, took it apart and bent it in half.  I slipped the wire through the middle of the full-size noodle.

Snip off the excess wire, bend the noodle until it is the shape of an L.

Place the arm back onto the arm support dowel rod.  Mark on the cylinder where the middle duct tape sits.  Drill another hole in the cylinder.  To the other side measure down and mark to drill a hole on that side as well.

Step five:  Create a bill for his hat.

Place the cylinder on top of a piece of cardboard, trace around one side with an extra 4 inches.  On the other side leave it straight.

I doubled up the cardboard and covered it with duct tape.

To keep the bill securely in the cylinder, I measured and marked the straight edge of the cardboard, with a circular saw I cut a slot in the cylinder to slip the cardboard inside.

Step Six:  Adding a nose.

I printed out a nutcracker’s face on google and placed it under the bill of the hat.

Marking the center of the nose and removed the printout.

For my nose was made out of a piece of scrap wood.  I drew a 4-inch circle, divided it into 4 sections and cut out one section.

Final step:  Adding a staff.

I grabbed an old flagpole for the staff, one of the hands I made out of the Halloween globe and a soldering gun.

With the soldering gun I melted two holes in the globe, one on top and one on the bottom.  Ran the flag pole through the holes.

For a video tutorial about this amazing DIY life-size nutcracker, you can check it on my Facebook page or my YouTube channel.

So, what do you think about my nutcracker that I built?  I can’t wait to see how he looks all deck out for Christmas!

Next stage will be dressing and decorating the nutcracker.  I hope you come back to see my nutcracker dressed for Christmas!

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