Make Minecraft tree ornaments from action figures

This is a simple project to turn Minecraft action figures into fun Christmas tree ornaments. They look like this:

Creeper and TNT action figure ornaments

You need to get:

• Some Minecraft figures. You can probably buy them locally, but if you want to buy them online, click below (These are affiliate links which help pay for this site. See my full affiliate disclosure and policy).
  • You can buy the creeper set I used at Amazon.com.
  • They also have the Enderman set (Amazon.com)
  • If you like zombies, there is a zombie set (Amazon.com)
  • Ther is also the Steve survival set (Amazon.com)
  • There is even a 4 pack of hostile mobs (Amazon.com).
• Small screw-in eye hooks. I got the smallest ones they had at my local Home Depot, but any place that carries screws and related hardware or crafting supplies will probably have something suitable (I’ll link to one on Amazon when I figure out which is the right size).
• Some hooks or string or whatever you like to use to hang things on your Christmas tree or wherever you want to hang these.

Parts required for Minecraft figure ornaments

You will also need some tools:

• A sharp pencil. A mechanical pencil with thin lead is probably the best, but use what you have.
• Something with a straight edge like a ruler or a business card.
• A drill of some kind. The plastic is soft so it doesn’t have to be big or powerful, just something you can comfortably control. A pin vise like this Army Painter Miniature and Model Drill would work great.
• A small drill bit. It should be smaller than the threads of the screw portion of the eye hook, but not smaller than the solid middle shaft of the screw. Smaller is better to give the threads as much plastic as possible to bite into.

Step By Step

1. 1. 1. Mark the center of the top of each figure. Since everythng in minecraft is square this can be done simply by placing your straight edge across diagonal corners and marking crossed lines with your pencil. The crossed lines will indicate the center. If you look closely at the pictures (click to see larger) you can see the light pencil marks. I didn’t draw the lines all the way across, just enough to mark the center.
         

         Marking the center of TNT block

         

         Pencil mark on Minecraft TNT figure.

         

         Minecraft creeper figure with center mark

      2. Use the pointy tip of one of the eye hooks or another sharp, pointy object to carefully dimple the center point. This dimple will help keep the drill bit from wandering off the center.
      3. Slowly and carefully drill a hole at the center point. Keep the drill bit as close as possible to perpendicular with the surface of the figure. Drill slowly. The plastic is very soft so be careful not to wobble the drill side-to-side as this will widen the hole, possibly making it too large for the screw to grab onto the plastic. Drill a little deeper than the length of the screw.
         

         Drilling into Minecraft TNT block.

         

         Creeper with drilled hole

      4. Carefully turn the eye hook into the hole. You should be able to do this by hand. Be careful not to over-tighten the screw as the plastic is very soft and you can very easily strip the plastic. Turn the screw in just far enough to hide the threads. Orient the eye so the figure will hang facing in the direction you want it to face when you install the hook or string. Again, it is important not to over-tighten the screw.
         

         Minecraft creeper with eye hook

         

         Minecraft TNT with eye hook

      5. Add your hooks or string and hang up for Christmas (or your preferred holiday or decorating scenario).
         

         Minecraft Creeper and TNT ornaments

      6. Decorate. Yay!!
         

         Creeper and TNT ornaments on the tree.

If you do this, let me know how it went @jasondoolittle on Twitter or in the comments of this post.