A place for baby mice to sleep inside the Christmas tree!

        There is nothing sweeter than tiny vintage mice for the Christmas tree, that is if they are not living. This traditional craft is one in particular that little ones love during the holidays and it has been crafted by hundreds of thousands of children across the United States for over 100 years! It is a craft that may be as simple or detailed as the maker of it wishes. I have seen some mice that are crafted from felt, some from pom-poms, others from wool and still more made from cotton balls. My example below is made from the former although a bit more manipulated. In any case, I'm certain that any young person will enjoy making these so much that he or she will happily make too many! Give them away in stockings if you need to.

Black mouse sleeping in nut shell; his fur colored with lint.

Supplies Needed:

• fine wire for tail and arms, hanger
  
• a few cotton balls 
• a bit of dryer lint (for fur color)
• acrylic paint (flesh to pink, white
• permanent black ink pen
• bits of fabric for blanket
• walnut shell half 
• white school glue
• pink felt for ears
• hot glue gun and hot glue (optional)
• hammer, chopping block and one sided razor blade for preparing the walnut shells (Preparing the shells must be done by an adult only in advance of completing the remainder of the craft activity,)
  

Left, the cotton bodies and heads are glued inside of the walnut shells. Right, painting on eyes.

This baby mouse is wearing an acorn shell night cap.

All of these mice have curly long tails too.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First you will need to prepare the walnut shell. Break it in a perfect half and clean out the nut contents. I have shown folks how to do this in detail here.
2.  Next, make the baby mouse's head by rolling cotton batting fluff (one cotton ball's worth) between the palms of your hands with a squeeze of white school glue. Set this tiny ball aside to dry.
3. Add more cotton fluff and glue if you think the head of the baby mouse is not yet big enough. 
4. Attach a delicately cut pair of paper or felt ears with glue to the head. Let dry.
5. Stuff the walnut shell with glue and white cotton; this will be the baby mouse's body. 
6. Glue the mouse head on the edge of the nut shell, touching the body on one side. 
7. Roll a bit of cotton batting over fine wire to make the mouse arms and a long loopy tail. Glue these inside the shell around the edges to the positions you think look best.
8. Cut a tiny blanket for the mouse baby and glue this on top of it's belly in the middle of the walnut shell.
9. Now add the tiniest features to the sleeping baby mouse like: a tiny pink nose, tiny eyes using the permanent in marker, coloring the the mouse fur made from dryer lint.
10. Tuck and glue in a wire hanger behind the mouse baby's head to hang this old-fashioned ornament on your Christmas tree. You can also include as many baby mice in walnut shells as you like inside of a mouse house for play! 
    

External Links
More Mice in Walnut Shells:

• Walnut shell mouse making workshop
• DIY Walnut Mouse Ornaments by kelsey malie