How to make a Christmas cardon hedgehog
A hedgehog is a small porcupine-like creature with quills on its back. It is often kept as a pet and is a very popular subject for Christmas decorations. A wild, self-propagating plant found around virgin areas, teasel has a spiky inflorescence. Its spiny oval shape closely resembles the body of a hedgehog. Therefore, it forms an ideal base to create a decorative piece. However, this craft is complicated and it is better to be handled by adults or adult children under supervision. It is advisable to hold the card in a thick folded cloth while working on it, to avoid getting pinched. Following systematic instructions will help you create your own cardon hedgehog for Christmas.
Raw Materials
• Cardons
• Paint
• Craft scissors
• Kitchen knife
• Pins with large, rounded heads (to use as eyes)
• Wooden base (optional)
• Cloth or thick folded towel
• Glue
• Velvet or other decorative fabric
• Creative badges, ribbons and lace
Steps to make a Christmas thistle hedgehog:
• Wrapping the cardoon: Wrap the cardoon in a thick cloth, leaving the stem side uncovered. This is just to hold it up, so keep it untied.
• Shape: Use a paring knife to shape the end of the stem into the protruding snout of the animal. If necessary, also trim part of the spiked part. The oval shape of the inflorescence takes care of the natural shape of the animal’s body. However, the underside of the belly must be prepared by removing the spines on the underside. This also prevents the piece from tipping over.
• Basic: This step is optional. Glue a suitable size wooden base to the bottom side prepared earlier.
• Painting: Paint the entire structure. You have several options here. You can use a color scheme that resembles a hedgehog’s natural color. However, natural tones may not go very well with the bright and colorful holiday theme. Alternatively, you can use gold or copper tones.
• Facial Features: Paint the heads of three large pins black. If you’ve already handled black colored pinheads, pin them immediately to the ‘face’ of the hedgehog as two eyes and a nose.
• Accessories: To add a festive touch to your animal, create a collar-like ornament made of velvet, ribbons, lace, decorative badges, etc.