Why Collect Santas? Claus They’re There

Diana Day lives in San Clemente, but you get the impression that if it were up to her, she’d change the city’s name to Santa Clemente. That’s because Day, 52, loves Santas and has collected 150 of the bearded figurines. Many are displayed in her home.

She’s so Kriss Kringle-crazed that she creates Santas of out papier-mache, carved wood, gourds and scraps, and she teaches others how to do the same. Some of her Santas take 30 to 45 hours to make and sell for $265 to $385.

Here is her story:

“My mother gave me a Santa face in 1985, and I oohed and aahed so much that everyone caught the hint that I loved it, and they started giving them to me. That’s how the collection began. I collect one-of-a-kind Santas and buy from the many Santa artists.

“I’m a crafter from way back--I’m always doing something. Ten years ago, I took a craft class on how to make a Santa, and now I make about 300 a year and show at a variety of crafts shows.

“I also teach how-to classes through several cities, from San Clemente and Anaheim to Costa Mesa. I’ll teach two classes as a ‘visiting Santa artist’ in February and May in Orlando, Fla.

“In two five-hour classes, I teach people how to build an heirloom Santa figure from the base up, how to dress it, and how to sculpt its head from clay or make a needle-sculpted cloth face.

“I love the Old World look of papier-mache Santas, which take a few hours to make. These small Santas have scrap faces made from pieces of colored paper. Scrap art today is based on crafting in the late 1860s when color printing by machine was popular. Small scraps of paper were used to make faces, decorated cookies and wrapped around sticks with cotton batting to simulate a figure. This is where the term ‘scrap book’ comes from.

“I made a bisque-face Santa on a round frame and use it as a wreath on my door. I call it ‘musical Santa’ because it has a violin, harp and French horn. He greets guests as they come to the door.

“My favorite one has a white beaver coat, and I call him ‘the gift bearer.’ He carries a basket of gifts, a drum and a bear. He’s my favorite because of the serene look on his face. I made the face with air-drying clay. He has some scraps from an old fur that my husband, Craig Curtner, bought for me at an estate sale. He brought it home because he knows I use fur for my Santas.

“The hardest part of making a Santa is that I start out with one idea in mind, but it changes. I wanted to make an arctic Santa all dressed in white. But by the time I pulled together the fabrics and trims, he was dressed in purple. Getting the right combination is more time-consuming than the actual execution.”

* Classes cost $35-$75. Call (949) 498-7060 for more information.

“Been There, Done That” is a recurring feature in Saturday’s Home Design section that highlights how our readers accomplish home and garden projects. If you wish to share your experiences--or, even to brag a little--call (714) 966-7883.