How to Make a Paper Cup Reindeer and Snowman (Easy Winter Crafts for Kids)

Easy Paper Cup Reindeer & Snowman Craft for Kids (Step-by-Step Tutorial). Looking for a cozy winter craft that works beautifully for both classrooms and kitchen tables? These paper cup winter characters, a sweet little reindeer and a cheerful snowman, are simple, charming, and wonderfully kid-friendly. Each one is made from an upside-down paper cup, soft felt details, googly eyes, and dangling wooden-bead legs that wiggle when you touch them. Felt fabric works beautifully with the tapered shape of a paper cup. Paper often wrinkles or buckles, but felt hugs the curve perfectly.

Teachers love this activity because it’s low-prep, quiet, and perfect for fine-motor practice. Parents love it because kids stay happily engaged and end up with adorable handmade decorations to display on a shelf or windowsill. Craft just one character or create a whole winter family. The step-by-step photos included above make every part easy to follow.

So grab a warm drink, gather your felt scraps, and let’s make these cozy winter friends together!

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Why This Winter Paper Cup Craft Is Perfect for Kids

This project is especially great for classrooms, winter parties, or December family crafting because:

• It uses affordable, accessible supplies
• Felt is easy for children to cut and glue
• The upside-down cup shape forms a perfect base
• Each child can personalize their character
• The wiggly legs make the finished craft extra fun
• There’s very little mess

This craft works well for ages 4 and up, and younger children can participate with pre-cut shapes.

Materials You’ll Need

(Refer to Image A in the tutorial photos above.)

• Paper cups (brown cups for the deer and white cups for the snowman)
• Felt fabric (brown, pink, green, red, or any color you like)
• Twine
• Large wooden beads (25/30 mm)
• Googly eyes
• Scissors
• Glue (hot glue and a glue stick)
• Black marker
• White or black paint (optional for snowman)
• Black pipe cleaner (for snowman hat)

Tip: Felt fabric works beautifully with the tapered shape of a paper cup. Paper often wrinkles or buckles, but felt hugs the curve perfectly.

How to Make a Paper Cup Reindeer

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies (Image A)

Collect everything before you start so crafting stays smooth and fun. Choose soft felt colors, you’ll need brown for the head, pink for the ears, and something bright and cheerful for the scarf.

Step 2: Create the Deer’s Face Pattern (Images B & C)

Start with brown felt. Cut a long T-shaped piece, this forms the forehead and nose of your deer.

• Ours was 18 cm wide and about 4.5 cm tall, but your size may vary depending on the cup.
• Wrap and glue the felt around the top of the upside-down cup so it creates a soft curved “nose” shape in front.

Check Images B and C to see how the piece sits on the cup.

Step 3: Make the Ears (Image D)

Cut two diamond-shaped pieces from brown felt for the ears.
Cut two smaller pink diamonds for the inner ear and glue them on top.
To give the ears a natural cupped look, fold the bottom edges together slightly and glue.

Attach both ears to the inside rim of the cup. They should peek up playfully, see Image D.

Step 4: Add the Face (Image E)

Time to bring your deer to life!
Glue on two googly eyes and a heart-shaped nose cut from pink felt or paper. We used these cute oval Googly eyes. 
Place them just below the brown felt pattern, as shown in Image E.

Step 5: Wrap a Cozy Scarf Around Your Deer (Images F & G)

Pick any color of felt you like, bright pink, warm red, forest green, whatever suits your winter mood.
Cut a scarf about 21 cm long and 1.5 cm wide.
Wrap it snugly around the front of the cup and crisscross the ends.
See Images F and G for positioning.

Step 6: Add Cheeks and a Little Smile (Image G)

Now that the scarf is in place, you’ll see exactly how much room you have for a tiny smile and two rosy cheeks.

• You can draw the smile with a black marker.
• Cut or paint little pink circles for the cheeks.

Image G shows the perfect placement.

Step 7: Attach the Antlers (Images H & I)

Cut two simple antler shapes from brown felt.
To attach them:

1. Make two small slits at the top of the cup.
2. Slide the antlers into the slits so they stand upright.

Check Images H and I for a clear visual guide.

Step 8: Give Your Deer Dangly Legs (Images J & K)

This is one of the cutest parts, little legs that wiggle when you tap the deer!

1. Cut a piece of twine about 26 cm long.
2. Make two holes near the bottom edge of the cup, spaced about 5 cm apart.
3. Thread the twine through the holes so both ends hang down evenly.
4. Tie a large wooden bead to each end.

The wooden beads in Images J and K are about 2.5 cm in diameter, but any large beads work.

Now your deer can sit on a self or the edge of a table with its little legs dangling happily (Image L).

All Finished!

Your cozy handmade reindeer is ready to decorate your home for the holidays. When placed on a shelf, the reindeer’s legs dangle and wiggle; kids love this part. Pair it with the matching snowman from the photos for an adorable winter duo!

How to Make a Paper Cup Snowman

Craft the snowman alongside the reindeer for a matching winter duo.

Step 1: Prepare Your Cup

Use a white paper cup or paint a regular cup white.
Turn the cup upside down just like the reindeer.

Step 2: Create the Snowman’s Hat (Paint + Pipe Cleaner)

This is the method shown in your photos.

1. Paint the top 2 cm of the cup (which is actually the bottom when flipped) black.
2. Once dry, glue a black pipe cleaner around the lower edge of the painted band.

This creates the cutest little top hat with a fuzzy brim.

Optional shortcut: You can also glue a small black cup lid on top as a simple hat alternative.

Step 3: Add the Snowman’s Face

• Glue on googly eyes
• Cut a small orange triangle for the carrot nose
• Draw a smile with black marker
• Add rosy cheeks with felt circles, paint, or marker

Step 4: Wrap a Warm Felt Scarf

Cut a strip of felt about 21 cm long and 1.5 cm wide.
Wrap it around the snowman’s “neck” and glue the ends in a crossed pattern.

Red felt looks wonderfully classic.

Step 5: Add Dangling Legs

Just as with the reindeer, cut twine, thread it through two holes at the bottom of the cup, and tie big wooden beads at the ends. The snowman sits adorably next to the deer with legs dangling over the edge.

Helpful Classroom Adaptations

• Pre-cut felt pieces for younger children
• Use stickers instead of googly eyes for faster drying
• Prepare twine legs in advance for large groups
• Let children choose scarf colors for personalization
• Display finished crafts on a shelf so the dangling legs show

Fun Variations Kids Will Love

• Use glitter glue to outline the antlers
• Swap scarf colors for festive themes
• Add tiny pom-poms for buttons
• Make multiple deer in different shades of brown
• Create a whole winter crew with elves, penguins, or Santa cups

Display Your Paper Cup Winter Friends

Once finished, set the snowman and reindeer on a shelf, windowsill, or classroom display. Their dangling wooden-bead legs create a whimsical, friendly look that brings instant cheer to any room.

These handmade winter friends also make sweet gifts for grandparents, teachers, or neighbors, especially when made by little hands.

More Reindeer & Snowman Crafts to Try

For even more winter crafting fun, I also have two printable bundles available: a 4 Fun Reindeer Crafts Bundle and a 4 Fun Snowman Crafts Bundle. These sets are designed specifically for teachers and busy parents who need quick, engaging, ready-to-go activities. Each craft comes in a print-and-go format, includes templates kids can cut and assemble independently, and works beautifully in classrooms, daycare centers, and holiday workshops. If you’re looking to extend this project or plan a full winter craft unit, these bundles make it easy.

• Reindeer bundle on Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers
• Snowman bundle on Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers

Or get our BIG Christmas and winter craft bundle, here you can see all the craft printables inside!

 

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