Candy Cane Christmas Mouse

Big M is obsessed with making ornaments for the Christmas tree this year… we are going to need a bigger tree soon, and I’m on a quest for more ideas!  I remembered these candy cane mice my Mom made with us as kids and has made them with her kindergarten classes for as long as I can remember… Don’t eat the ones on our tree in Texas – I think the candy canes on those are circa 1990.  These are quick and easy enough for a three year old to make, once all the pieces are cut out.

Shopping List:

Felt (two colors)

Googly eyes

Small pom poms

Fabric glue

Candy canes

Cost: Less than $10

Prep Time: Less than 15 minutes

Clean-Up Time: None

To make it super easy for you, print the attached template and directions by clicking on the photo below.

I used green, red and white felt to make festive little Christmas mice.  I cut all the pieces during ‘quiet time’, and had them ready to go for Big M to decorate.  To make the slits in the body, just bend the felt and make small slits with your scissors.  It’s better to err on the side of too small – you want the ears to be some what pinched in place, so they don’t easily slide out.  To insert the ears, fold the piece in half and pull through.  I did one, so Big M had a model to follow when she started.

My mom sent the girls this adorable book for St. Nicholas Day… Gingerbread Mouse.  It is about a little mouse who makes her home in a gingerbread house at Christmas time.  So as soon as Big M saw our project, she asked if we were making a Gingerbread Mouse.

I told her these were going to be Candy Cane Mice instead!  She seemed happy enough with that, and the bottle of glue!  As always, Big M has to have everything lined up and in order.  She put in the ears, and added eyes and noses to her mice.

Now, for the best part… adding the candy cane.  You want the hook part of the cane to stick out like a tail, with the end under the body to be held in place by the loop made by the ears.

You can hang these on your tree like ornaments, attach them to you gifts for decoration, or use them to decorate your holiday place settings!  She was eager to hang the mice on the tree… then of course she asked, “Now that we have our mice, when were we going to make a Gingerbread House, Mama?”  Stay tuned for our next afternoon project!