Krampus

Watch the build video on YouTube!

Listen: It is not fair that spooky season only lasts for one month. The Christmassy people get ALL of November AND December, and I don't think that's right. But some of the cool kids got together and formulated a plan to add some yuck to your Yule: Spooky Christmas. 

Last year, to put some creepiness into my Chrismas, I built pop culture's favourite Christmas monster, Krampus. You can check out the build video here.

Popularized in North America by Michael Dougherty's 2015 movie,  Krampus has long been a feature of Germanic/ Alpine Christmas traditions. There, the anthropomorphized goat character is celebrated as St. Nicholas' evil counterpart who punishes naughty children.  There are regional variants, but these physical characteristics of Krampus are generally consistent: cloven hooves, goat horns, sharp teeth, carries chains, and he has a basket on his back (for carrying away those naughty children). I wanted to incorporate these qualities into my sculpture so that I could stay true to Krampus' folklore.

1. Krampus legs and body were made from cardboard and small paper machéd balloons.

2. Bulking out the legs with tissue paper and masking tape.

3. Building up the chest and covering the assemblage with paper maché.

4. Creating the head structure with a paper machéd balloon and part of an egg carton.

5. The arm and hand structures are made of wire and cardboard, and bulked out with tissue paper and tape.

6. I cut the head structure apart to make the jaw and added pre-made teeth and gums.

7. Adding lips and eyelids. They are made out of glue-moistened paper towels.

8. I made a walking staff and stated to assemble the component parts.

9. I balanced the sculpture and attached the head.

10. I surface-coated the entire sculpture in DAS brand paper clay. Here I'm adding some texture.

11. After sanding, I gave the sculpture a very weird looking underpainting.

12. The final colours were built up in light layers over the underpainting, giving the skin depth.

13. Attaching fur yarn to the structure's legs.

13. Securing on a little backpack basket made out of wire and craft sticks.

14. Adding some final crafty details like chains and leather wrist cuffs.

Here's the final Krampus sculpture. You can check out the detailed build video on my YouTube channel.  I share lots more details and info and tips if you want to build your own. I'm @janesawyermakes over there!

Paper maché Krampus sculpture