In this blog post, I share all my tips, tricks, and ways to customize, decorate, and paint the viral white Walmart Blowmold Nutcracker. This step-by-step tutorial includes printable guides, templates, and coloring pages.
This Blow Mold Nutcracker officially hit Walmart shelves back in 2019, but it's been flying off the shelves every holiday season since then. This year, these nutcrackers have gone viral, and I was so excited when I finally got my hands on not just one, but two of them! 😍
Now, I should probably warn you right now that these nutcrackers can be a bit tricky to purchase! Before ordering my nutcrackers, they always appeared as out of stock or unavailable when I would search for them online. But, I kept reloading the Walmart app (about 20-30 times a day for a week) to see if they were back in stock, and low and behold, the day finally came, and my nutcracker dreams came true!
Just a few hours later, two six-foot nutcrackers arrived on my doorstep, ready to be assembled, & painted. So, without further ado, let's get into all the nitty gritty details on how I turned these basic nutcrackers into these gorgeous pink and gold nutcrackers!
Click here to see if these nutcrackers are in stores near you! You can also follow me on Instagram @sweetredpoppy and LTK, where I share updates on whether or not the nutcrackers are available and where and how to buy them.
Today, I'm walking you through preparing, painting, and customizing the Walmart Nutcracker! As you're reading this tutorial, keep in mind that you don't have to follow these steps exactly. Don't be afraid to make these nutcrackers your own and customize them to fit your own decor and aesthetic!
This tutorial is meant to walk you through what I did, share my tips and tricks, and inspire you. You can pick and choose your colors, accessories, and more. Get creative and have fun!
Tips and Tricks to Order the Viral Walmart Blow Mold Nutcracker
The viral Walmart nutcracker has been popping up everywhere, and no wonder—it’s gorgeous and makes for the perfect holiday DIY project! Every time I checked forit, it was marked as sold out, which was so frustrating. But with a little extra effort, I figured out the trick to snagging one! It took some persistence and good timing, but I finally got my hands on this holiday gem. Here are my tips and tricks for ordering a nutcracker of your own.
🎄Login to your Walmart account & update payment & shipping info
🎄Add the Nutcracker to your Walmart wish list
🎄If you find it in stock, click Buy Now (this is faster than adding to cart to help you get it before it sells out)
🎄If it shows as out of stock, keep refreshing the page throughout the day
🎄Check back throughout the day to see if it gets restocked!
🎄Check your local Walmart. The online stocking info for your local store may not be up to date.
Viral Walmart Nutcracker Details
This nutcracker is currently priced at $129. It's a plastic Animated White Nutcracker Blow Mold that measures 75 inches tall and has a white base with the iconic nutcracker design. Its features are the buttons, which are LED lights in green colorways around the vest area. When you plug it in, it plays festive music and it's motion-activated.
If this particular nutcracker is out of stock, you can check out the other blow molds that are great alternatives and are available here.
Many of you have probably already assembled your Nutcracker 😆, but for those that haven't, inside the box, you'll notice that there are 6 parts:
- Head
- 2 Arms
- Torso
- Legs
- Base
Table of Contents
Supplies Used
Optional Supplies
Click to Download the Walmart Nutcracker Printable Here!
Before you start painting your nutcracker or shopping for supplies, be sure to download this free printable. This will help you plan your Nutcracker in advance and prevent you from making mistakes later on.
Step 1: Prime Nutcracker Pieces
Before I assembled my Nutcracker, I laid the parts out on a covered surface and primed them with a flat white spray paint primer. This will make it easier for acrylic paint to adhere to the surface of the Nutcracker. When applying your coats of primer, do light coats to prevent it from running. I used two cans of primer on each nutcracker.
People ask you if they should use a gray or white primer. I recommend a white primer because it provides a nice blank canvas for lighter colors. If you plan on using darker colors (dark green and blue) gray works as well!
Pro Tip: Cover the LED lights with painter's tape by ripping off small pieces, wrapping them around the lights, and then pinching the tips.
Let all the pieces dry completely before moving onto the next step. I let mine dry for a full day before moving on.
Step 2: Paint Nutcracker Pieces
There are so many different colors you can apply to your Nutcracker. I chose pinks and golds, specifically Vintage Brass, Baby Pink, Pink Tourmaline, and White Pearl Metallic Paint.
Many people paint the nutcrackers to represent themselves and paint them colors that match their Christmas theme.
What Is the Best Paint for Skintones?
You can find a variety of acrylic paints in different skin tones at your local craft store. I chose "Warm Beige" for my Nutcracker.
The colors included in the photo below are Natural Buff, Almondine, Warm Beige, Golden Brown, Raw Sienna, Bark Brown, Raw Umber, and Burnt Umber.
Painting Techniques
Once you're finally ready to begin painting your Nutcracker, I recommend beginning with the lightest colors first. The light colors are easier to cover up so it makes the most sense to start with them first. This also allows you to paint the lighter colors without having to worry so much about staying in the lines perfectly since the overlap will be covered up later on.
Pro Tip: I'm using a light pink for most of my Nutcracker base, so if I end up with messy strokes over places I didn't plan on painting light pink, I can easily cover it with a darker color. Paint the dark areas last, so you don't have to paint multiple coats of a lighter coat over a darker color.
Painting one color at a time and letting it dry helps to keep everything neat and clean. Be ready for touch-ups! It's a tedious process. 😂 You'll likely need to plan on painting at least 2 coats of each color. For darker colors, you may need a third coat to achieve the full depth of the color.
I recommend using painter's tape for the first layer of paint. Don't put tape on top of multiple layers of paint, or the paint will peel off along with the tape and require more touch-ups.
The surface of the nutcracker is textured making it hard to get clean straight lines. Sometimes, dedicating a day to touching up the paint helps the projects look clean and complete.
It's easiest to completely disassemble the pieces of the nutcracker to paint them. I recommend putting on a good show and spending a few hours of time painting your nutcracker.
Pro Tip: Add Vegetable Glycerin to your acrylic paints for better blending and longer drying times—also, a great way to add shine.
Paint Brushes & Paints Used
I recommend using brushes that aren't too soft and have flat, square tips or round, fine points for all the more detailed parts. I review the paintbrushes I used to paint the eyes later in this blog post.
The paints I used are acrylic-based and are from the brands DecoArt and FolkArt.
Painting Nutcracker Head
Starting with the head, I painted the hat pink, the details gold, and the trim of the hat dark pink. I had to apply 2-3 coats of the metallics, such as the gold and dark pink, and cleaned up any messy lines with a fine-point brush once everything was dried.
I painted the head of hair and facial hair with DecoArt Pearl-Like Finish Paint and applied a layer of White Pearl Metallic Paint on top.
The next step is to paint the eyes. This step can be scary, but I'll walk you through the steps and provide a free printable guide on how to paint the eyes below.
How to Paint the Nutcracker Eyes
There are so many methods when it comes to painting the eyes. After doing extensive research on all the techniques and ways to go about it, and practicing on pieces of cardboard, I finally ended up with these nutcracker eyes.
Don't worry; I will show you how I did this below. I also made an illustration guide that walks you through the steps to achieve this eye look. You can print it out or have it in front of you on your device. You will also find an eye template the same size as the Walmart Nutcracker eyes that you can practice on.
Download the Printable Nutcracker Eye Tutorial and Template Here!
Before painting the eyes, gather the following supplies:
Supplies for the Eyes
- 2 circular objects- one bigger than the other ( I used a spray paint lid and Citrus Strip container lid). I've seen people use a mason jar and a TP roll.
- Pencil and Eraser
- Acrylic Paint- I used black, white, and a variety of greens and blues. You'll want dark, medium, and light colors that are within the same hue.
- Paint Brushes- Fine-point brushes and a fan brush
- Paper Towels
- 1 Piece of Copy Paper
- Tape
- Scissors
a) Cut Out Eye Templates
To start, grab your two circular objects, place them on a piece of copy paper, and trace them onto the paper with a pencil. After tracing, fold the paper in half and cut out your circles. Now, you should have two large circles and two small circles.
Put pieces of tape onto the two large circles and place them onto your Nutcracker. I placed mine 1/4 inch away from the inner corner, and the outer edge of my circle template was 1 1/4 inch from the outer corner of the eye sockets.
Once you have an idea of where you would like to place your circles, make a crease where the nutcracker eyelids cut off the circle, cut it off with a pair of scissors, and place it back onto the nutcracker.
b) Trace Eye Templates onto Nutcracker
Trace the circles onto the nutcracker with a pencil and remove the templates. Now it's time to paint! You'll want to prepare a base color for the iris. I mixed a mid-light blue color for my base.
c) Paint Nutcracker Eye Base
Apply this color to your nutcracker eyes, painting inside the lines of your circle. I applied 3 coats of this base color.
d) Apply Paint to the Outer Edge of the Irises
Next, mix a darker shade of the color you used for the base and apply it to the outer edge of the irises. Before it dries, blend the two colors. Pro Tip: Using a small amount of water usually helps to blend paints.
After you blend the two colors until it becomes a gradient, with a thin brush, drag the darker color inward in thin radial lines.
e) Paint Pupil
Let it dry completely, grab your two smaller circles, and place it in the center of your irises. Paint the pupil a solid dark color in the center of the iris with a small brush and let it dry.
f) Outline Iris
Allow the pupils to dry completely. Dip a fine paint brush into a darker blue color, darker than the base, and apply it to the outer edge of the Iris. You are outlining the Iris in this step to give it more definition.
g) Outline Pupil
Let the outline dry. Next, apply a very light shade of color around the outer edge of the pupil. Then, drag the lighter color (while it's still wet) outwards toward the edge of the iris in thin radial lines.
h) Add Reflections to Eyes
It's time to add the highlights after outlining the pupil with a lighter color and the iris with a darker color. Add white circles on the iris and pupil to mimic the reflection of light. Pro Tip: Place these highlights off-center.
Let the highlights dry, and the nutcracker eyes are done! If you would like, you can apply a clear gloss varnish over them to make them sparkle and shine!
Feel free to add blush to the cheeks or behind the mustache by tracing the TP roll onto the face and filling it in with a blush color.
Painting Nutcracker Torso and Arms
For the torso, I applied light pink to the coat, cotton candy to the shirt, deep hot pink to the accents, and gold to the belt and chains. I painted the beard white and mixed deep hot pink and baby pink for the gums.
I painted the arms light pink, the shoulders hot pink, and the cuffs, shoulders, and chains gold.
Painting Legs, Boots, and Base
I applied three coats of gold to the leggings. For the shoes, I used painter's tape along the top of the boots to mask off the details I didn't want to paint. I plan to add faux fur between these accents afterward.
I painted the rest of the boots light pink and the base gold.
Step 3: Add Accessories to the Walmart Nutcracker
Once all the parts have dried completely, you can add faux fur, gold chains, or a cape and any other embellishments.
For mine, I created a luxurious cape to pair with my Nutcracker because the majority of you voted for the cape in my Instagram stories, thank you! I added faux fur to the boots and gold chains to the plastic chain details on the Nutcracker using E6000 permanent craft adhesive.
Before adding the chains to the details, I sanded down the areas where I wanted to apply adhesive and used pliers to remove the excess chain pieces to create a perfect fit. I then used blue painter's tape to keep the chains in place while they dried. It's best to do this with the chest laying down on it's back to help everything dry in place.
I've also seen people add tassels to the vest and shoulders- I love that idea!
Step 4: Spray with Clear UV Resistant Spray Paint
If you plan to display your nutcracker outside, it's important to seal all your hard work to protect it from the outdoors, especially the sun!
You can spray all of the pieces of the Nutcracker with UV-resistant spray paint to ensure they are moisture-resistant and don't fade, crack, or turn yellow. Click here for UV-resistant spray paint. You can choose matte or glossy spray paint depending on your preferred finish.
Step 5: Assemble Nutcracker
Once you're happy with your amazing Nutcracker, it's time to assemble all of your pieces. Start by attaching the torso to the legs, placing it on top, and turning it to the right to lock it into place.
Then, attach the arms to the sockets on the sides of the torso. Finally, attach the head to the top of the torso and turn it to the right to lock it into place.
PRO TIP - If your head and chest don't align you might need to turn it harder than you expect. I had to really twist it hard to get them to match up.
Step 6: Display Your Finished Nutcracker
This nutcracker was so fun to paint, assemble, and decorate. I plan to put them next to my Christmas tree this year, and I can't wait!
This project is a labor of love and can take many hours. So have fun with the process, and turn on your favorite music or series to accompany you. Happy Holidays!
Want to save this project for later? You can save it to Pinterest by clicking here!
You can shop the Walmart Nutcracker by clicking here!
Do you have questions about painting this nutcracker? Drop them in the comments below so I can answer them!
Hi! My name is Rosa, I am a huge fan. <3 In your Nutcracker video, you have a big pink bow on your tree can you please share how you made it or where you got it from? Please I love it so micj and I wanna make one so bad or I will buy it. Thank you so much. I really love your videos and tuts, keep doing them I'm a HUGE fan!