Creating Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Figures for Christmas Card

Every year we have our kids recreate a holiday movie or show for our Christmas card. This year we recreated Rankin / Bass Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. To do it so it felt real I took it upon myself to recreate the figures from scratch. The figures are in the 6" height range.

Supplies needed:

1. Polymeric clay- white, black, brown, green, tan, red & flesh
2. Clay tools
3. Coat hanger wire
4. Acrylic Paint
5. Felt
6. Cardboard
7. Fur fabric
8. Pillow filler
9. Scissors
10. X-acto knife
11. Loctite Super Glue
12. Hot glue / gun
13. Small wood dowel
14. Black and silver Sharpies
15. Foam Board
16. Spray Paint
17. Oven
18. Fake snow fabric
19. Glitter snow
20. Lights
21. Painters tarp and sheets
22. Reference images of original Rankin / Bass figures
23. Photoshop to put all together!

Using 2 solid balls of Polymeric clay I began to create Sam the Snowman. The lower portion of the body was simple. The head entailed a lot of detail and modeling. Using reference pictures I sculpted the face.

TIP: DO NOT PAINT THE CLAY BEFORE YOU BAKE. You must bake the clay before you paint.

I sculpted the hat using black, red and tan Polymeric clay. Once these pieces are joined together with sculpting tools they are baked in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. I then added the holly leaves made out of green felt with Super glue.

Sam's arm wire was added before baking. Using felt and an old white shirt I created the gloves and the white button up shirt. A tiny piece of black fabric for the tie. I used Super glue to adhere everything together.

I created Sam's vest with green felt, then black and silver sharpies were used to create the pin striping on the vest. The pocket watch and chain are made of Polymeric clay and painted silver. The vest and watch were adhered using Super Glue. The umbrella is made from brown and sage color Polymeric clay.

The squirrel is all made from colored Polymeric clay.

Using a scale size sketch of how big I wanted these figures to be I bent the coat hanger wire to create the armature of the body. I added the polymeric clay boots and hands and then baked at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.

I started with creating the gloves with white felt. I then padded out the body using Pillow filler then wrapped in red felt. I wrapped the legs, then the chest and arms. I then added white felt to create the white fur pieces. All the felt was adhered using Super Glue.

I used a flesh color Polymeric clay for Santa's head. using reference photos to get the face just right. The photo I used is actually a restoration photo of the original Santa figure. I used it because it showed how his face was actually sculpted. I used black Polymeric clay for the eyes. I then baked the head at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. Once hardened I used white fur fabric to create the beard and mustache and Super glued them on. I Super glued his head to his body and added the hat and belt. Both made from felt, The buckle is white felt colored with a silver sharpie.

Using a scale drawing I sculpted all the parts of Rudolph's body out of white Polymeric clay. The antlers were made with brown Polymeric clay. The hoofs were black Polymeric clay. The legs have wire sticking out where they will help to join the pieces to the body. All pieces were then baked at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.

I used brown felt to wrap the body and legs. Cutting with an X-acto knife to cut to size. I used Super glue to adhere the felt to the clay. I also used the felt to create the ears and Polymeric clay for the eyes. I then Super glued the legs to the body.

For the trees I used a cardboard base and a small dowel in the center. I cut green felt into wavy circles with a whole in the center. I hot glued them in layers from big on the bottom to small on top. Using white felt I cut and glued on white snow to replicate the Rankin Bass trees.

I wanted the house to model our own, the pictures of our house were my inspiration. I used foam core, hot glue and spray paint to create the façade of our house to be used as the back drop for the figures. I built ONLY what would be seen from the angle I would be taking the picture. As you can see the other side and back do not exist but you cant see that. Just like a Hollywood set. The house model is about 3 feet long by 2 feet high.

I set the house up in my basement shop. I used a white painters drop cloth on the table with a roll of fake snow. I sprinkled snow glitter on the house and fabric to give it that sparkle. I put up an blue sheet behind and ran blue LED lights along the bottom to glow up and give it that "Northern Lights" feel. I moved the trees and figures around until I found the version I wanted to use with the card. Compare the model to our actual house, it's a Pretty close cartoonish version.

Once I decided on the angle of the model I was going to use I could take pictures of my kids at the same angle so they could be integrated into the picture using Photoshop. I set up a white drop cloth as a backdrop and a white ledge for them to lean on as if it was the window sill. I wont bore you with all the pictures of the kids but in reality I took about 100 of each kid in different poses and making different expressions!

I used Photoshop to add the kids to the picture of the model. I also used Photoshop to recreate the famous Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer logo

The finished 6" figures are as true to appearance and feel as you can find. I tried to use as many similar materials as would have been used on the original Rankin / Bass figures. This was a blast to make and now I have figures that get displayed at Christmas time!

I took pictures of the kids in front of the white backdrop (painters tarp) for the back cover as if the Bumble was scaring them. I used Photoshop to add him. I did not make the Bumble. Last minute thought when I was taking pictures for the card!

The card front has the logo added. I also made a 20"x30" poster to be hung by our den movie room. I am lucky that my kids are always up for my creative cards every year. I have been asked "Why did you make the figures and everything to do this?" Could I have just done everything with Photoshop? Yes, BUT it just would not have had the authentic feel I was hoping to capture. I think I accomplished what I set out to do. What do you think?