What does MNL do with the thousands of milkweed pods leftover from our annual fall Milkweed for Monarchs collection? Well, most of them go into compost, but one unique use for them is to make Santa ornaments for the tree! All you need for this fun holiday craft is dried milkweed pod halves, string or ribbon, paint, small white poms, and hot glue.
First, paint the red “Santa hat” portion of the pod, about the top 1/3 of the pod.
Next, paint the bottom 1/3 of the pod white for the beard, and add some white trim around the “hat” as well. For an extra touch, after the white “beard” paint has dried, spread a thin layer of hot glue and stick some of the milkweed floss to the beard area for a more realistic look (this can get messy!).
Then, add two eyes with a fine bristled paintbrush or sharpie marker. (You could use some milkweed seeds for eyes, but we recommend putting those into the soil instead!)
Finally, add the accessories. Hot glue a string or ribbon onto the back for hanging on the tree. Add a small white pom to finish Santa\’s hat. Be creative and have fun!
Like this craft? Show us your milkweed pod santa’s on our Facebook page.