Clothespin Reindeer

Last updated on December 12th, 2024 at 09:41 pm

DIY Clothespin Reindeer Christmas Decorations

by Jane Lake

These clothespin reindeer decorations have been around for a long time, but it is only recently that I had the chance to make my own. Well, actually, I was showing my friend’s daughter how to make one, and we ended up making two versions – one clothespin Rudolf to hang on the tree, and a thinner version with a magnet for pinning to a fridge or school locker.

Craft Supplies:

• 2 or 3 clothespins (the old-fashioned, push-on type)
• 2 black beads or 2 small plastic movable eyes (or draw on the eyes)
• fine black marker
• tacky glue or hot glue gun and glue sticks
• small ribbon
• small red pompom
• tiny bell ornament
• optional: brown craft paint

Clothespin Reindeer Ornament

We used plain clothespins, but if you’d like a brown reindeer, paint the clothespins first and let the paint dry completely before proceeding with the next steps.

Note: If you don’t have pompoms, black beads, or plastic eyes available, you can draw on the facial features with pens or fine felt tip markers.

Make some companion construction paper reindeer from our free printable template.

As you can see, when you finish the cutting and folding these cute little paper reindeer stand up quite well!

Project Instructions:

1. Glue two clothespins together to make the body of the reindeer.

2. Turn the third clothespin upside down and glue it to the top of the stacked pair of clothespins, as shown in our photos. This clothespin is what makes the reindeer head, complete with two tall antlers.

3. Tie thin ribbon around the reindeer’s neck and tie in a small bow.

4. Glue a bell or other small Christmas decoration just below the ribbon bow.

5. Glue on either the two black beads or movable eyes and the red pompom nose. Draw a smiling mouth below the nose with pen or marker.

6. Pin the reindeer to a thin branch of the Christmas tree just as you would pin clothes to a washing line. Alternatively, you can glue on a loop of thread or ribbon to hang the reindeer like a traditional Christmas ornament.

Reindeer Fridge Magnet

Assemble this version following the directions above, but instead of using two clothespins as the body, just use one. This makes the reindeer thinner and lighter. Glue a small magnet to the back and use it to attach the reindeer to your fridge or locker door, or to another metal surface.