Star Wars fans might not think of the wampa, a carnivorous, snow-dwelling creature that made its unforgettable debut in The Empire Strikes Back, as especially festive or cute and cuddly.
But you can make a wampa that’s much less abominable and a lot more adorable with this DIY ornament, perfect for hanging on the tree for the holidays or decoration for the kids’ rooms all year round.
What You Need*
- Papier-mâché ball ornament
- Fur template
- White craft fur
- Grey felt
- Black, tan, and white craft foam
- 5/8” paper punch or dime
- Black pen or thin permanent marker
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Hot glue
*The activities in this article should only be done with adult supervision.
Get Started!
Begin by printing and cutting out the fur template.
Trace the template on the back of the white craft fur and cut it out. Repeat until you have six pieces.
Next, draw a rough horn shape on the gray felt, approximately 4 inches long. Cut it out. Use the shape as a template to trace and cut out three more felt horns for a total of four.
Use the hot glue gun to adhere two pieces of the felt horns together, making sure they line up. Stuff small pieces of the leftover grey felt inside to give the horn a shape. Glue the top of the horn closed.
Repeat on the other horn. Set the horns aside.
Next, glue each piece of white fur around the papier-mâché ball, lining them up carefully on the sides and top and bottom. (Make sure the string at the top of the ball isn’t covered.)
Glue the horns on either side of the ornament, gluing down both the top and bottom felt tips to the ornament.
Place a small amount of glue at the top of each horn, and fold down the fur to slightly hide the top of the felt.
Next, make a small circle template with a 5/8” hole punch or find a dime. Use the template or coin to trace two small circles on the black craft foam, and cut them out.
Cut a long, thin mouth shape, approximately 2.5” in length. You can make your wampa happy or angry, depending on your preference.
Next, draw a nose shape on the tan craft foam, approximately 1” in length. Cut it out.
Cut two small teeth shapes out of the white craft foam. Hot glue them to the black mouth you made previously.
Glue the eyes, nose, and mouth to the front of the ornament.
Finally, use the thin black marker to draw lines curving around the two horns.
Your wampa is complete, and ready to delight or terrorize your guests this holiday season!
Kelly Knox is a freelance writer who loves creating crafts with her daughter. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox, and take a look at her blog the st{art} button for more Star Wars art projects and craft ideas.
