You know what’s wild? Nutcrackers are everywhere during Christmas, but most craft versions either look obviously homemade or require woodworking skills nobody has time for. This paper nutcracker solves that problem. It looks legit, costs almost nothing, and kids can actually make it from start to finish without getting frustrated.
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to make your own paper nutcracker doll using our free template and simple supplies. This Christmas craft is perfect for parents looking for rainy day activities, teachers needing classroom projects, and anyone who wants festive decorations without spending a fortune.
Plus, we’ve included a complete video tutorial so you can see exactly how each piece comes together.
How to Make a Paper Nutcracker Doll
Things You’ll Need
Materials
- Colored craft paper (red, black, skin tone, white). Cardstock works best. Regular printer paper won’t hold the rolled body shape, and construction paper rips when you’re cutting tiny mustache details.
- Glue stick. Keeps everything flat without wrinkles. Liquid glue works too, but use it sparingly or your paper gets soggy.
Tools
- Scissors. Sharp ones. Dull scissors crush paper instead of cutting cleanly.
- Black marker (for eyes and nose). Fine-point works better than thick ones.
- Colored markers (optional, for decorating the uniform).
- Free nutcracker template (download from the article).
Please note that the provided links may include affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Paper Nutcracker Doll
Step 1: Cut Out All Template Pieces
Print your template and cut out every single piece. You’ll have pants, boots, belt, shirt, head, hat, beard, mustache, hair, hands, and buttons. Take your time with the tiny details like the belt buckle and mustache because clean cuts make the final nutcracker look way more polished.
Parent tip: If you’re crafting with younger kids, you cut out the intricate pieces (mustache, belt buckle) and let them handle the bigger shapes like the rectangle base and shirt.
Step 2: Thread the Belt Through the Buckle
Cut two slits in your belt buckle piece where the template marks show. Slide your belt strip through those slits so it looks like a real buckle. Now glue the boot strips along the bottom edge of your pants strip. Make sure they’re lined up evenly so your nutcracker doesn’t look lopsided later.
Note: The belt buckle is the trickiest part to cut. If your first attempt tears, don’t stress. Just cut another one.
Step 3: Cut the Body Base Rectangle
Cut a rectangle from your thickest paper. This needs to be big enough to fit all your nutcracker parts in a vertical line because you’ll roll this into a cylinder later. If you’re using the template, it’ll show you exactly how big to cut.
Pro tip: Use cardstock that’s at least 65 lb weight here. Anything thinner won’t hold the rolled shape, and your nutcracker will collapse.
Step 4: Glue Pants and Boots to the Base
Take your pants strip (with boots already attached from step 2) and glue it along the bottom edge of your rectangle base. Line it up straight because this becomes the foundation for everything else.
Step 5: Attach the Shirt Above the Pants
Glue your shirt piece right above the pants section. Leave just a tiny gap between them, or let them touch. Either way looks fine. The shirt should sit in the middle section of your rectangle.
Step 6: Prepare the Hat and Attach the Head
Glue the hat border along the top edge of your hat strip. Keep that scalloped decorative edge facing inward so it shows when the hat curves. Now glue your head strip right above the shirt. Your nutcracker’s face goes here, so center it nicely.
Important: If you’re running out of space at the top of your rectangle, you can overlap the head piece slightly with the edge. It’ll hide once you roll the cylinder.
Step 7: Glue the Hat to the Head
Attach your hat piece to the top of the head strip. If there’s no base paper left showing above the head, overlap the hat with the top edge of the head strip. This gives your nutcracker that tall, regal look.
Step 8: Fold the Hair Piece Edges
Take your hair cutouts and make a small fold along the straight edge of each piece. This creates a little tab that you’ll glue down in the next step. Don’t fold the curly decorative parts, just the straight attachment edge.
Pro tip: Folding first makes the hair sit better on the face instead of lying flat. It gives your nutcracker dimension.
Step 9: Add Beard, Mustache, Hair, and Face Details
Glue the mustache and beard onto the middle of your face strip where the mouth area would be. For the hair pieces, only glue down those folded tabs you just made. Let the curly parts stick out naturally. Now glue your button circles onto the shirt. Draw eyes and a nose with your marker.
Parent tip: Let kids draw the face last so they can see where everything sits. Otherwise they end up drawing eyes where the mustache goes.
Step 10: Draw Decorative Details on the Uniform
Use your markers to add stripes, braids, or decorative trim to the shirt, pants, and boots. Look at real nutcracker images if you want inspiration, or just make up your own design. There’s no wrong way to decorate here.
Step 11: Apply Glue to One Vertical Edge
Put a line of glue along one of the vertical sides of your rectangle base. Not the top or bottom, one of the long sides. Get it all the way from top to bottom.
Step 12: Roll the Rectangle into a Cylinder
Carefully roll your rectangle so the glued edge meets the opposite side. Hold it together for about 30 seconds until the glue sets. Your nutcracker now has his body shape! Make sure all your pieces (pants, shirt, head, hat) are facing outward.
Note: If the cylinder wants to unroll, you didn’t use enough glue. Just add more and hold it longer.
Step 13: Build the Arms and Hands
Take your sleeve pieces and glue the hand circle to one end. Now roll each sleeve into a small cylinder and close both ends by gluing circles over the openings. You’re basically making two tiny tubes. Use the sleeve border template for extra decoration if you want.
Pro tip: Make sure these arm cylinders are completely dry before you attach them to the body, or they’ll squish and look weird.
Step 14: Let the Arms Dry Completely
This step is just waiting. Seriously, let those arm pieces dry for at least 5 minutes. Rushing this is how you end up with flat, wonky arms.
Step 15: Glue Arms to Both Sides of the Body
Attach one arm cylinder to each side of your nutcracker’s body at shoulder height (right where the shirt section is). Position them so they angle slightly forward, like the nutcracker is standing at attention. Let everything dry, and you’re done!
Watch the Paper Nutcracker Video Tutorial
If you’re having trouble visualizing how the pieces fit together (especially that body cylinder part), I’ve got you covered. The full video tutorial on my YouTube channel shows every single step from cutting to final assembly.
Tips for Beginners: Paper Nutcracker Success
Use Cardstock for the Body Base – Thick paper is non-negotiable here. Regular printer paper won’t hold the rolled cylinder shape. It’ll either unroll constantly or collapse inward. Cardstock between 65-80 lb weight gives you that sturdy structure that actually stays put.
Cut Small Details Carefully – The mustache, beard, and belt buckle are tiny, and rushed cuts show up in your final result. Take your time with these pieces. If you mess one up, it’s way easier to recut one small piece than to try fixing it with glue.
Pre-Fold Before Gluing – Folding the hair piece edges before you glue them makes them sit better and look more dimensional. Same with any curved pieces. A quick pre-fold helps you see how things will lay before you commit with glue.
Build From Bottom to Top – Following the step order matters here. If you glue the hat first and then try to add boots, nothing will line up right. Start with boots and pants, work your way up through the shirt and head, and finish with the hat. This keeps all your proportions correct.
Choose the Right Glue for Each Job – Glue sticks work great for flat, large pieces like the body base. But for tiny details like the mustache and buttons, craft glue (the kind with a small tip) gives you way more control. Too much glue makes everything wrinkly.
We absolutely love seeing how you customize these little nutcracker dolls! When you finish yours, share photos on social media and tag us with #thecraftaholicwitch so we can see your creativity.
Creative variations we’d love to see:
- Rainbow nutcrackers with unexpected color combinations
- Tiny nutcrackers made from scaled-down templates
- A whole nutcracker family in different sizes
- Glitter or metallic paper versions for extra sparkle
Final Thoughts
This paper nutcracker is way more than just a cute decoration. It’s a chance for kids to practice careful cutting, precise gluing, and following multi-step instructions while making something they’re genuinely proud to display. That matters.
As a mom and craft enthusiast, I love projects like this because kids stay focused from start to finish. They see their nutcracker come together piece by piece, and when it’s done? They actually want to show it off. That confidence boost is what makes crafting with kids so worthwhile.
So grab that free template, pull out your cardstock, and watch your kids light up as their nutcracker doll takes shape!
Keep crafting, keep learning, and keep creating those precious memories!
Happy Crafting!
#thecraftaholicwitch
