The idea for this DIY came from a large distressed nutcracker that I saw at Michaels Craft Store for $100. I loved the look of it but even on sale with coupon it would still be $40. I noticed these smaller natural wood craft nutcrackers with the holiday crafting stuff and decided to make my own for WAY cheaper.
I prefer using this chalk paint by Waverly from Walmart bc it’s extra matte. It is also very easy to sand off which is the idea here. I lightly painted the areas I wanted and avoided some of the edges on purpose. Less is more because you can always add more paint if you decide to.
I used the small paint brush for most of this project. I chose black, ivory, and gray for this guy because I wanted him to be more neutral.
I also decided to leave his face, hands, and ski’s natural for a more rustic look. If you don’t like the natural wood, you could even stain it!
I somehow deleted the last video but once he was painted, I went back with the foam brush and LIGHTLY dabbed on a TINY bit of black paint to some edges. This makes him look more distressed and old. I also took a small piece of sand paper and sanded some edges and areas that had too much paint on them. I also sanded his hat to make it look more distressed. This step is optional but it really completes the look!
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