DIY life size Toy Soldiers / Nutcrackers

Building your own life size Christmas Toy Soldiers is easy!
Supplies list:
12in. x 4ft. cement tube form
Four 2ft. sections of PVC (4in or 3in)
Two 12in. wood rounds
One piece plywood base
One landscape timber
Two balls for hands or two PVC caps
Two PVC reducers for shoulders
Screws
Paint
Hair (fabric)
Embellishments/Decorations
Optional:
90 degree PVC joint for elbow
Glitter
Spray glue to attach glitter
Clear coat spray paint for protection
$10,000 worth of power tools lol

[@1-daydecorating8]

Those nutcrackers came out beautiful. Also it's so nice to see a family working together.

[@AnAbstractMind]

You’re probably not going to believe this, but this design on nutcrackers (toy soldiers, snowmen, etc.) from COTTONWOOD is patented by my father. He’s still alive, and lives in Kansas, and has the poor man’s copyright sealed away. His business was called “Forgotten Cotton Creations” and operated in Ellis, Kansas from 1996 - 2003. I’m super glad to see his work is still inspiring over 20 years later.

[@aimeebourne2780]

Wow thats cool!

[@eduardasartorio8932]

Omgggg

[@auntqueenee]

That is so awesome to read

[@wallspatty]

His design is very well done!

[@carollane5376]

So glad to hear this. Tell him congrats again!

[@nicholefisher2137]

Wow, Y'all did a phenomenal job! Not only creating awesome decorations but creating an environment for your son to learn and work with his mom and dad. That is lacked so much in America... Even in both parent homes. I enjoyed seeing that and the happiness on your son's face just as much as seeing the whole process. Congratulations to you 3. If I attempt making a nutcracker yours will be my reference. Thanks y'all.

[@daniellephilp8619]

These are absolutely GORGEOUS!!! You guys did an awesome job with the assignment 🎄🎄🎄

[@maggiem6209]

Every year, I always want to look like the most cheerful little real life nutcracker. I've loved the play all my life. And if I had a house, oh my god, I would make a set of these. They're amazing. It seems I'll have to admire houses from afar for now, but I've definitely added this to my list of future home DIYs.

[@chiprhine9740]

I love them . Thankyou for the detailed family friendly video.

[@susanguzman1342]

Ya did and amazing job, wish l could order some made by ya that would be awesome, ya Madeira look so easy, your l saw your precious son was so happy helping ya , Ya are Teaching him Great skills that best a Parent can do , God Bless.

[@angelawillis2986]

I have always wanted life size Nutcrackers, but never thought I could accomplish it, until NOW! Thank You! You guys are it look easy, but I know it will be alot of work, but I feel that thanks to you guys, it's possible!

[@erinlemmon1691]

Check out Stiltbeast Studios toy soldier build too. Its a similar idea but uses 5 gallon buckets for most of the build. Both options look fairly easy to DIY; love them both!

[@ch1ckmom217]

Specially with what they cost at stores, it's ridiculous. I have always wanted to learn how to make my own and now I know of a way.

[@bumblebeedancer8511]

Yes I have never either, but it is stunning and now I want one too!!

[@robylove9190]

These are amazing! I'm sure you are anxious to display them again this year. They look every bit as good as the ones that sell for $699.00 at Sam's and, they will last a lot longer. Plus, they will be a family heirloom.

[@bamc1000]

I have been looking for a “simple” DYI pattern just like this!!!! You guys made it so easy to follow and the finished projects are absolutely stunning! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!

[@loganjonah9575]

you all prolly dont care at all but does anybody know of a method to log back into an instagram account?? I was stupid lost my password. I would appreciate any help you can give me.

[@noesoren8510]

@Logan Jonah instablaster ;)

[@loganjonah9575]

@Noe Soren thanks for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im trying it out atm. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@loganjonah9575]

@Noe Soren It worked and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy! Thank you so much you saved my ass :D

[@noesoren8510]

@Logan Jonah Happy to help xD

[@ganoking1]

This was fantastic! My honey sent me a pic from Costco the other day of a 7 foot nutcracker they wanted $900 bucks for. I think I will surprise her with your design and let her decorate. Thanks a bunch.. Ps it is nice to see the kids chipping in as well.

[@no_handle_required]

Those are awesome. I've seen plenty of youtube and these stand out because of the color scheme.

[@tammypettiford532]

Kimberly oh my goodness girl y'all did a wonderful job it look like something from the store I would buy them I've been wanting to make these things for some years now couldn't figure out what to use oh my goodness I'm doing this I love it oh oh it's gorgeous absolutely beautiful I just can't stop I love it

[@jaclyndelvalle2590]

This video tutorial was FABULOUS! I love, love, LOVE the way ours turned out! It was pretty easy and the end result looks so high-end! Thank you for posting!

[@tinastock5212]

Fantastic and was really lovely to see your son helping

[@whatseriously1]

Beautifully done!! And your home looks completely magical. I would suggest you put those little portable spot lights on them to show them off better at night!

[@arianagonzalez9493]

I love love love how you added the arms. Genius! And seems a lot easier. Thanks for sharing with the KZbin community:)

[@Aquamarine325]

90 degree day in Michigan, and I am looking at Christmas crafts.;-) These guys are great! Really well done!!!

[@tonduborneo8922]

Most Beautiful Nutcrackers I've ever seen!

[@BO_Riddle]

the blue color scheme was cool

[@VictoriaVlogz]

I love making large impactful decorations for my yard. I enjoyed this DIY and might even give it a go.

[@honeylarue1]

They are fantastic and professionally done. Beautiful work! 🎄❄🎄❄🎄❄🎄❄🎄

[@andreaduncan8058]

Beautiful job see a multi tasking family work together. Absolutely gorgeous! Great job family working together. God bless you all. Merry Blessed Christmas😊

[@ortizle1]

These look so good!!! Love how you explained process. Thank you sooooo much for sharing

[@Emilia-nz5ug]

You guys did a wonderful job! They look absolutely stunning! And very helpful DIY! 😊

[@cokedude58]

Very impressive, and great job decorating and finishing them off!!!

[@thumpercoronado2840]

Awesome! My wife is going to love these. Thanks for the vid.

[@teresavazquez7995]

BEAUTIFUL TEAMWORK 👏🥰

[@janepeiffer672]

Great job!!! I made a dragon for Halloween this year and people could not believe that I did. If I did not already have a set of nutcrackers I would make these. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@Arrietta1977]

How can I see a picture of your dragon?

[@margareth1504]

You guys are an awesome team what a fantastic family project. So clever and such good fun. My hubby barely owns a single hack saw let alone a power tool!

[@cassafrasskotter7238]

Absolutely stunning!! Fantastic job. Much sturdier than other diy Nutcrackers I've seen.

[@bakerswife1978]

Wish you lived closer I would pay to make me some...lol too cute!!!

[@debrareed6915]

You have a awesome imagination looks like you both 😉 put together could accomplish anything you set your mind to ,great job love your decorations,

[@JuanGonzalez-ym2do]

Awesome job family! Beautiful!

[@Lostinstarsss]

They came out spectacular! What a great family project!

[@elizabethhart1802]

Creative and beautifully done!!

[@Epcotfans54]

Those are amazing. I’m going to make those before next Christmas. I love them.

[@dalemills7926]

I adore these nutcrackers ...Oh I love how u made these to come apart..we live in a time y house so this is optimal for us( we are retired in Florida)...btw your little boy is adorable ..we have mostly grandgirls , lol and not but 2 grandsons .....your son looks as though 😍 he loved helping you both making this nutcracker..

[@LMaRie-zd4xj]

can you post the list of supplies in the comments please. I love this!!!! Awesome Job.

[@kimberlyhoyt5374]

Posted! Thank you!!

[@judybeaty2062]

Wonderful teamwork. They are absolutely beautiful.

[@tansaycarter2932]

That is way cool. Your family did a great job!

[@nuny313]

That’s so cute y’all got a great idea , I bet a lot people specially from your neighborhood they’re curious where you got them because it’s hard to find those in that size in the stores and if you do they’re very expensive, but they are just adorable. Now the must part that i like that y’all did it as a family project AWESOME 👏 I JUST LOVE THEM..... Thanks for sharing such a special project. Enjoy your holidays and many Blessings to you all.

[@tnj2416]

I love these so much!! Thank you for sharing! Got a project for the family!

[@ch1ckmom217]

This are so cute, I want to make some too.

[@robinbird6215]

I just came across your channel and I have to say that I was blown away at how absolutely beautiful your Nutcrackers turned out! I am a collector of Nutcrackers since I was young, and I bit the bullet and bought a large size one a couple of years ago from Hobby Lobby at 50% off, but he was still expensive. Now, after seeing your video I think that I am going to try and make my own! Thank you so much for sharing with us and Happy New Year! I also subscribed to your channel, and I am looking forward to see what other ideas you create! 😊

[@tinabuenzow9992]

WOW WOW WOW!! you guys did a fantastic job! Kudos you you!

[@tonil5960]

This is by far THE BEST DIY instructional video in making a life size Nut Cracker ... love 💘 it! love 💘 it! love 💘 it! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😍👍THANK YOU!

[@powerinprayer917]

I agree

[@JodyLeBouton]

Upu did a wonderful job on them. Group effort and great

[@carmilladennis3692]

You make them look so easy! Beautiful ❤

[@debstew]

Wow! Thank you for making this video!

[@powerinprayer917]

You are amazing 💖💖💖. I'm going to try this for Christmas 2022. Thank you.

[@kelseymaclean9407]

Absolutely fantastic job and much better than buying ones from the store 🥰 can not wait to try these! Thank you for sharing and Merry Christmas! 🎄

[@emmahope5297]

Those are awesome! 🥰 Thanks for sharing!

[@magatears9803]

Outstanding...You are very talented! Thanks for sharing! 👍

[@anntunaley9974]

This is perfect! My favorite colors too!

[@romaseeram7531]

Thank you so much for your video.

[@teresacarter8593]

Love theses ,iv been looking for video like this ,forever 😀you did great job am going to try it , thank you so much for sharing take care 🇬🇧😁

[@PatrickMichael2002]

Those turned out great!!!

[@outlawflyer7868]

At first I was like, this gonna be really dumb looking. I was very wrong, I know wat I am making next year. Great VLOG

[@helenchaney9450]

I love this guys this is really amazing and a beautiful job

[@kevinjennings6086]

You inspired me, and I’d love to share. Send me way to forward you a picture.

[@1977evel]

This is amazing..Well done👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@deaflores1483]

Que precioso le quedó el cascanueses.

[@ArtfishStudio]

SO COOL! Merry Christmas from Kuala Lumpur

[@lhm72052]

WOW! Great job! Love it!

[@cab102361]

Very clever

[@silviachaves6325]

👏👏👏De lo más bello q e visto. Gracias desde Costa Rica.

[@TheRomewedding]

These are fantastic!!

[@tammerahanes1792]

Nice Job.

[@El-px6wl]

Beautiful

[@julieschossow6337]

Good job! These are adorable!!!

[@72tubedmiaz]

Great job!

[@vickichatham145]

Also, how far down did you come for he hat and the face?

[@Adventureboundcruisetravel]

You can buy 18" wood rounds @ Home Depot if you don't want to or don't have the tools to make a base.

[@littlemissmakeup87]

Wow these are fabulous 😍

[@peggynewman6585]

Great Job!!!! Awesome!!

[@jamiesmith3837]

Very cute!!

[@amiganutt]

A House Divided. There are quite a few. Ours isn’t though. Go bucks!

[@franciaesquivelcampos6066]

Excelente trabajo y sobre todo realizado en familia

[@LPerez-pn5ni]

Nice job!

[@Bugsmom004]

What kind/ size of bucket did you use for the drum? What kind/shade of blue paint did you use? Is the lollipop septer foam on the top? Lastly can I say how genius you guys are for making the nutcracker to where you can easily break them down for storage. I LOVE how you guys did it.

[@Bugsmom004]

Update: I'm currently building these based off this tutorial. I have the guys built. The drummers limbs are completely done with drum and sticks. I'm working on the directors limbs now. Still need to do both bodies. I took screenshots and am best guessing things based off that. The hair looks half way around the head. The faux fur I got is a bit thin so I'm going to do a couple layers to bulk it up a bit. Then I'm going to try and spray it with scotchguard water protectant. I'm also applying it using velcro. Incase it doesn't make it through the year in the elements. This way I don't have to worry about mold. Then I can replace the "hair" next year if need be. Remember to screw in the arm screws with spare pieces of wood as well as the drummer screws before putting on the wood rounds. One of our screw ended up coming loose after I sealed them up, I also for got to put the drums screws in. So we improvised and used butterfly wall anchor. We put our wood rounds about about 2" in on the bottom and flipped the guy over. Set him down with the wood round inside so it's flush with the top and screwed it in for the top of the head. I used expanding foam for any gaps and sealed with caulking. Then I'll give it a heavy clear coat spray multiple times to really try and make it weather proof. For the measurements I had screen shots (they are a bit blurry) of her video that the top part of the hat is 9" with roughly a 2" brim and 7" face. For the facial features, It looks like she free handed it. I'm planning on using my cricut. When I'm all said and done. I'll be doing multiple layers of clear spray to seal it in and try to make it stand up against our harsh winters. I live in the Midwest. O! And I accidentally did 4" pvc for both legs and arms. It looks fine. But I had missed the part in the video where she said she used 3" for the arms. I would have preferred the 3" for the arms as well. Looks wise, the 4" is fine but 3" would cut down on some of the weight. I think so far for both nutcracker to be built is has cost around $200. They stand just under 6' tall. I would use a 3.5 gl - 2gl bucket for the drum. I'm using a 3.5 gl, 2 gl would probably look better. For the blues I'm using a light blue, blue and turquoise. I really like the colors she used, plus they match my front door and shutters. Each color has matching glitters. For the turquoise glitter I chose a holographic turquoise and am applying using the tack it method. I also applied black holographic glitter using the same method for the stripe down the pants. Hope that helps anyone else that is going to try and make these.

[@alexvacari6443]

@@Bugsmom004thank you so much for sharing this info

[@lara-hall]

These are amazing!! 🥰

[@kinsakins9753]

Awesome job! Love seeing the whole family doing it together. We work on projects like that too as a family and is such awesome quality time together. Can I ask where you bought their hair at? Also love the idea of one playing the drums but am curious if you used a 5 gallon pail or smaller? TIA

[@44altecz]

You forgot to cut the feet for the boots in the front

[@cyng8497]

Wow Gorgeous!! Did you seal the cardboard part of the body? I can’t wait to make for next year!

[@mario3804]

Looks amazing thank you for making this video.😊

[@Cali_Girl1]

Love Them!

[@jamieverley]

Where did you find the twisty lights for the shoulders? Great design!

[@rosecartagena6007]

Hi wanted to say great job….I have a question, what was the measurements for each section of face and hat? Like what is the measurements where the arms go….I can’t tell from the video…..I gonna attempt this this weekend so wish me luck

[@kjohnson1093]

Just AMAZING!!!

[@jacknelson7342]

They are absolutely beautiful!! Wanted so bad to watch how to, but the new "skinny (?)" pictures drive me nuts so didn` make it very far in😔

[@suemolesworth1248]

Beautiful!

[@tonyadoggett]

Well done!

[@marystinebriner7644]

❤️👑🙏🥇❤️ Merry Christmas 🎄❤️

[@adayinthelife8646]

Very cool

[@TLCdynamics]

Have you ever had these in the rain? How does the concrete form handle moisture? We are so excited to make these! I am just worried because mine will not be covered. We have watched so many videos and this was the best by far! Thank you. 😍

[@ThePeluche25]

Great question!! I hope she answers. This is a great DIY! Love it!

[@svenhaight477]

No, ours haven't been exposed to the rain. Our porch is covered and there's not too much rain in December when they're out. I wonder if you could fully paint the tube with an outdoor primer first then maybe clearcoat them after you decorate and craft paint them. 🤔

[@6009topota]

Wowww incredible!!!

[@julieschroeder2448]

If there is a list of needed embellishment items as well as suggestions of what items I might want to have on hand as well? We want to make for our daughter to enjoy when she travels a great distance for Christmas. We need to start now. Is there a different page where comments are answered? Thanks so much!

[@svenhaight477]

We just went to a craft store (Joanne's Fabric I believe) and bought stuff we liked based on our color scheme. It's just different kinds or ribbon, fancy rope & strings, glitter etc. There's no wrong way to decorate so feel free to get creative and make them your own! Good luck!!

[@evelynisnear]

Do you have a document you're wiling to publish or for a fee with instructions and material list?

[@lisaobrien8060]

They are amazing

[@brendavanmeter3986]

Maybe I missed it but what length did you cut for drummers arms ?