20 Notable Nutcracker Crafts for Kids
These beautiful Nutcracker Crafts for Kids are perfect to introduce the current generation to the classic story performed during Christmastime!
If you notice little tall men dressed like soldiers around Christmastime, you’re looking at the Nutcracker! Yes, his character is the kind that cracks nuts, and his story is now the stuff of legends!
The History of the Nutcracker Ballet
The Nutcracker was first performed in 1892 in Russia, at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. The first performance outside Russia was in 1934 in England.
The first performance in the United States was much later, in 1944, by the San Francisco Ballet Company. However, it was George Balanchine’s version for the New York City Ballet in 1954 that catapulted the Nutcracker into the spotlight, making it one of the most popular symbols of Christmas.
Since then, the Nutcracker has become an unmissable part of Christmas decorations and traditions, as well as DIY projects. We’re joining in too, with some cute and colourful Nutcracker crafts for kids!
20 Notable Nutcracker Crafts for Kids
1. Popsicle Stick Nutcracker Craft
Considering how popular the Nutcracker is today, you’d think it was a hit right from its first show. However, it was quite the opposite – the Nutcracker’s first show at the Mariinksy Theatre in St. Petersburg was a flop! People didn’t like the story, and they felt there were too many children on stage! Our Popsicle stick Nutcracker here doesn’t have any worries about it though – he’s smiling!
2. Shape Nutcracker Craft for Preschoolers
If you’re looking for Nutcracker crafts for kids under the age of 4, this shape craft is perfect! Kids will love the way you can create a nutcracker from circles, rectangles, squares and triangles.
3. Easy DIY Nutcracker Bookmark for Christmas
The Nutcracker didn’t start out as a play – it was originally a short story named “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, written in 1816 by Prussian author E. T. A. Hoffmann as a part of the German children’s story collection Kinder-Mährchen. Hoffman’s short story was then adapted by Alexandre Dumas in 1844, which then became the basis of the ballet. Read more about the Nutcracker’s history and be sure to use a Nutcracker bookmark!
4. Nutcracker Split Pin Puppet Template
Many people think of two main reasons the ballet uses Dumas’ version, as opposed to Hoffman’s. Hoffman’s had some dark elements, and it was also too long for a two-act ballet. Well, if you are planning on putting up a simple Nutcracker show of your own, we recommend trying our split pin puppet!
5. Photo Nutcracker Craft For Kids
Remember that we mentioned that one of the reasons the first-ever Nutcracker show flopped was because there were too many children? Well, even today, several kids perform in the various Nutcracker shows across the world! It is estimated that over 100 kids participate in a single show, and if you want to imagine yourself as one of them, try out this photo craft from Simple Everyday Mom!
6. Nutcracker Drawing Tutorial
We think a list of Nutcracker crafts for kids should absolutely have a drawing tutorial, and Art Projects for Kids has one for us! They’ve got multiple versions too, including an easier one and a giant one, so take your pick!
7. Easy Nutcracker Craft with Free Template
The Nutcracker owes its current popularity to George Balanchine, co-founder and artistic director of the New York City Ballet. He was a Russian who performed regularly in his country, including in the Nutcracker ballet. He introduced his version in 1954, and it became a super hit! Crafty Kids Play tries to recreate that moment with a cute little paper plate stage and dancers!
8. Paper Plate Nutcracker Craft For Kids
The first time the Nutcracker was performed in the United States in 1944, the San Francisco Ballet had a very limited budget to work with. They ended up getting all their jewelry, trinkets and flowers from Goodwill for a total of $5! Setting up a performance in this day and age can cost $2 million or more! But don’t worry, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on Nutcracker crafts for kids, and Made to be a Momma shows us how to do it with paper plates!
9. Toilet Paper Roll Nutcracker Craft
The choreographer for the first-ever Nutcracker performance was Marius Petipa, a French-Russian ballet master. The original Nutcracker features multiple dance styles, including those from the Middle East and China! Check out the Nutcrackers from The Best Ideas for Kids, who are doing their best to create a pyramid by themselves!
10. Paper Bag Nutcracker Puppets
Nutcracker shows can occur anywhere from October onward, till Christmas, with most dancers starting rehearsals in September. It is serious business, with major ballet companies generating 40% of their annual revenue from The Nutcracker alone. It is estimated that Nutcracker ticket sales in the U.S. go over $50 million! The Nutcrackers from Creative Cynchronicity certainly look ready to start performing!
11. Nutcracker Cinnamon Stick Ornaments
We love Nutcracker crafts for kids that use interesting materials, like this one that uses cinnamon, from Sustain My Craft Habit! Variety is an integral part of the Nutcracker ballet, representing different countries in interesting ways. The show features Spanish hot chocolate, Arabian coffee, Chinese tea and Russian candy, making it a colorful tapestry in every way!
12. DIY Craft Stick Nutcracker Ornament
In Germany, nutcrackers were traditionally considered symbols of good luck and protection, due to which they were often gifted to children. It’s also why the main character in the story receives one at Christmas – so now you know that he’s actually German, not Russian! If you’d like to make your own Nutcracker Christmas ornament, check out the project from Fireflies and Mudpies.
13. DIY Nutcracker Dolls Tutorial
Some of these Nutcracker crafts for kids would make great gifts, like these gorgeous DIY dolls from Benzie Design! It shows the Nutcracker along with Clara, the heroine. Although we know her as Clara, in the original story she was Marie, and she is also known as Masha or Marichen in different countries.
14. Clothespin Nutcracker Ornament Craft
Frugal Fun 4 Boys shows us that you can turn anything into Nutcracker crafts for kids, including clothespins! We think the shape of the clothespin lends itself perfectly to the tall stature of the Nutcracker, and with a few basic craft supplies you have a nice little ornament!
15. Nutcracker Handprint Craft For Kids
While E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original story was named ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’, Dumas changed it to simply ‘The Nutcracker’. When working on the ballet, composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky considered the names ‘The Christmas Tree‘ and ‘The Fir Tree’, but eventually settled on ‘The Nutcracker’. Try to brainstorm alternate names for the ballet as you make this handprint craft from Simple Everyday Mom.
16. Printable Nutcracker Suncatcher Colouring Pages
Red Ted Art shows us that Nutcrackers don’t just perform, they can also bring sunshine into our lives! The Pacific Northwest Ballet Company actually did this when they visited the Seattle Children’s Hospital in full costume! They gave the kids gifts, read to them and also offered them tickets to their official dress rehearsal. Now that’s another way to bring light into someone’s life!
17. Cardboard Tube Nutcracker Characters
You may have heard that the music of The Nutcracker is quite famous. The complete composition is called The Nutcracker Suite, and it was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, famous for Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. One of the most popular pieces in the suite was the ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’, which used sounds from an instrument called the celesta, which had just been patented a few years earlier. See if you can play it in the background as you make this colourful craft from Baker Ross!
18. Nutcracker Craft Puppets
What we love about this list of Nutcracker crafts for kids is that it shows the multiple ways you can create a Nutcracker craft of your own, like these stick puppets from Everyday Savvy! The Nutcracker ballet itself has got many different versions, like ones based on hip-hop, jazz and even other fictional characters like the Care Bears!
19. DIY Felt Nutcracker Ornament
If you’ve got a lot of felt lying around, we recommend using it to make some cool felt crafts, like these felt ornaments from Big Family Blessings, featuring all the main characters of The Nutcracker story!
20. DIY Paper Nutcracker Soldier
Creative Cynchronicity shows us that you need little more than colored craft paper to make cute Nutcracker crafts for kids! Gather your paper, scissors and glue, and you have everything you need to get started!
Before starting to make these Nutcracker crafts for kids, we recommend reading the original story so kids can connect more with the crafts. Maybe then they can create their own versions of the story, and see if they can include some of their favorite characters as well.
Responses