(For the 24 weeks leading up to December 1st, we’ll be making a Christmas ornament. Each one will be traditional to or inspired by a different country)

This Halloween week appropriate ornament is inspired by the Austrian/alpine holiday legend of the Krampus.

The Krampus is a demonic-like beast who punishes naughty children while St. Nicholas rewards the good ones with presents. The Krampus punishes bad children by whipping them before putting them in his basket to take back to hell with him. Yikes, that is much scarier than coal in your stocking!

“Krampus is celebrated on Krampusnacht, which takes place on the eve of St. Nicholas’ Day. In Austria, Northern Italy and other parts of Europe, party-goers masquerade as devils, wild-men, and witches to participate in Krampuslauf (Krampus Run). Intoxicated and bearing torches, costumed devils caper and carouse through the streets terrifying child and adult alike.” (from Krampus.com)

Our little devil is made from a pin doll. We give him the traditional horns, red eyes, a long pointed tongue and of course that dreaded basket.

Krampus Ornament

Supplies:

• pin doll
• black paint
• red paint
• small eye screw
• wire, something easily bendable like floral wire
• black or brown floral tape
• tacky glue
• red, black and grey felt
• small piece of grey yarn
• yarn or thin ribbon to hang

Tools:

• small paint brush
• scissors

1. Paint the pin doll black on all sides. Let dry then paint in red eyes. (Later on I made my eyes a little more pointy.)

2. Screw a screw eye into the top of the pin doll.

3. Make the horns by cutting about a 2″ piece of wire. Wrap it around the screw eye and shape into horns. Trim as needed. Then cover the horns with a little floral tape to give them bulk.

Then fill in under the horns plus over and around the wire with tacky glue. This will help keep the horns in place and once dry you can paint to to cover the wire.

4. Cut a small pointed piece of felt out for the tongue. You can make it as long as you want, but in pictures he always seems to have a long tongue. Glue on the face. Roll up the end a little.

5. Cut a small piece of yarn, maybe an inch, and unravel it a bit. Glue it over the top of the tongue and around the sides of the face up to the horns. Trim as needed. (Ok, maybe the tongue should come from above the beard. You decide how you like it best.)

6. Cut out tiny triangles of black and glue to either side of the head, just behind the beard, for ears.

7. Make a basket by cutting out a piece of grey felt about 1/2 – 3/4 inch high and 1 1/2 inch long. Roll into a tube length-wise and glue together. Then cut out a small circle the size of the bottom on the basket and glue in place.

Glue to the back of the Krampus slightly off to one side.

8. Touch up any black paint that needs it. Put a ribbon through the screw eye and hang to remind everyone what happens to naughty children.

Fröhliche Weihnachten! Now, here’s Anthony Bourdain to tell you the story of the Krampus…