Bodies and pedestals were turned from a tree limb (ash or maple) that I found on the side of the road. Legs and arms were made from oak dowels, and the jaws were made from birch. My wife, a watercolorist, hand painted these using acrylic paint.
I have Nutcrackers on my to-do list. I’ve got a ton of pictures for ideas from the past when we visit the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum with our family: https://www.nutcrackermuseum.com/