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Colorful Wooden Peg Arctic Animals

Each with their own colorful personalities, these adorable painted wooden peg arctic animals will keep you little ones entertained through the winter!

Wooden pegs painted as a purple polar bear, blue seal and yellow penguin arranged side by side in front of an unfinished wood bird house.

I’m constantly fighting and competing with my little ones over the devices and screen time. So I was ecstatic when they got lost in play with these colorful little painted peg animals that Sonja made for them.

For a glorious hour their penguin, seal and polar bear were sliding in “the snow” and hiding all around our living room cushions. It was such a pleasure to see.

Next time we’ll make sure to add these sweet painted penguin rocks to the mix! Or maybe they’ll go on an adventure with their woodland animal pals.

Materials Needed to Make the Wooden Peg Arctic Animals

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Wooden pegs and jars of craft paint lined up on a white surface.

Tips: Protect work surface with a sheet of newspaper or parchment paper. Allow paint to fully dry between steps and when changing to a new color. Repeat with as many coats as needed to achieve desired coverage.

How to Paint a Penguin Peg Animal

Paint the surface of the peg in Bright Yellow.

Using a fine tip angled brush, paint the front of the peg in Saffron Yellow to mimic the shape of the penguins face and belly.

Close up image of details to paint a penguin on a wooden peg.

Using the back end of a medium sized paintbrush, dab small polka dots all over the penguin body in SaffronYellow.

Using a fine tip paintbrush, paint a small triangle on the penguin’s face between the eyes in Bright Orange. 

Nearly finished details of a yellow penguin painted on a wooden peg.

Using the back end of a medium sized paintbrush, bad two larger sized eyes on the penguin’s face in Black Tie. 

A finished yellow painted penguin on a white surface.

Using a medium sized paint brush, coat the entire surface of the painted peg penguin in Duraclear satin.

Painting a coat of DuraClear varnish on the painted peg penguin.

How to Painted a Seal Wooden Peg Animal

Paint the surface of the peg in Ocean Blue.

Using a fine tip angled brush, paint the front of the peg in Primary Blue to mimic the shape of the seal’s belly.

Beginnings of a blue seal painted on a small wooden peg.

Using a fine tip angled brush, paint irregular shaped rounded rectangles on the backside of the peg in Primary Blue.

Using the back end of a fine tip paintbrush, dab two small sized eyes and nose on the seal’s face in Black Tie. 

Painting the eyes and nose onto a blue painted seal.

Using the back end of a fine tip paintbrush, dab one small sized dot for the seal’s mouth in Carousel Pink.

Painting a pink tongue onto a blue painted seal.

Using a fine tip paint pen in black, draw a thin curved line on either side of the seal’s nose.

Painting a mustache onto a blue painted seal.

Using a medium sized paint brush, coat the entire surface of the painted peg seal in Duraclear satin.

How to Painted a Peg Polar Bear

Paint the surface of the peg in Purple Pizzazz.

Using a fine tip angled brush, paint the front of the peg in Dioxazine Purple to mimic the shape of the bear’s belly.

Beginnings of a purple polar bear painted on a small wooden peg.

Using narrow strips of painter’s tape create a horizontal stripe pattern around the width of the bear’s body. 

yellow tape wrapped around the purple painted peg.

Paint the stripes in Dioxazine Purple.

darker purple paint covering the tape on the peg.

Remove the painter’s tape and use a fine tip paint brush for any touch ups.

Using the back end of a  medium paintbrush, dab two circles for the ears on the bears face in Dioxazine.

Painting purple ears on painted polar bear peg.

Using the back end of a fine tip paintbrush, dab one small sized dot for the seal’s mouth in Carousel Pink.

Picture of a pink nose on painted polar bear peg.

Using the back end of a fine tip paintbrush, dab small sized eyes on the bear’s face in Black Tie. 

Using a fine tip paintbrush, paint an upside down triangle shape for the bear’s nose in Black Tie.

Picture of black painted eyes and nose on the painted polar bear peg.

Using the back end of a fine tip paintbrush, dab smaller sized circles within the ears using Purple Pizzazz to create a crescent moon shape for the ears.  

painting crescent moon shapes to finish the ears.

Using a fine tip paint pen in black, draw whiskers on either side of the nose.

Using a medium sized paint brush, coat the entire surface of the painted polar bear in Duraclear satin. 

adding whiskers with black paint on the painted polar bear peg.

And there you go, an adorable gang on arctic animals! Which one would be your kids’ favorite?

Two hand holding wooden pegs painted as a purple polar bear, blue seal and yellow penguin.

Do you have any other ideas for encouraging the kids to play off of the screens?

Wooden pegs painted as a purple polar bear, blue seal and yellow penguin arranged side by side in front of an unfinished wood bird house.

This project originally appeared on DecoArt’s project gallery

For more wood crafts check out this wood bead DIY jewelry, these painted wood salad tongs or these monster bookmarks for kids.

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Image of hands holding wooden pegs painted as a purple polar bear, blue seal and yellow penguin. Also with the words "Painted peg animals" placed underneath.

Colorful Wooden Peg Arctic Animals

Jane and Sonja
With a penguin, seal and polar bear, these colorful painted wooden peg arctic animals will keep your little ones entertained all winter through!
5 from 1 vote
Servings 3 animals

Materials
  

  • 3 wooden peg people
  • Acrylic paint brushes assorted sizes and tips
  • Decoart Americana Acrylics Ocean Blue, Primary Blue, Carousel Pink, Black Tie
  • Americana Duraclear in Satin
  • Paint pen black
  • Painter’s tape optional

Instructions
 

  • For the Seal peg animal, paint the surface of the peg in Ocean Blue.
  • Using a fine tip angled brush, paint the front of the peg in Primary Blue to mimic the shape of the seal’s belly.
  • Using a fine tip angled brush, paint irregular shaped rounded rectangles on the backside of the peg in Primary Blue.
  • Using the back end of a fine tip paintbrush, dab two small sized eyes and nose on the seal’s face in Black Tie.
  • Using the back end of a fine tip paintbrush, dab one small sized dot for the seal’s mouth in Carousel Pink.
  • Using a fine tip paint pen in black, draw a thin curved line on either side of the seal’s nose.
  • Using a medium sized paint brush, coat the entire surface of the painted peg seal in Duraclear satin.
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Tutorial Rating




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