Photography by Brandon Sullivan Debra Steinbacher pauses in front of her handmade Santa Claus sculpture titled Sleigh Bells Ring. The figure features rabbit-fur boots, a fringed fleece coat and a fur bag filled with toys.

It’s Christmas 24/7, 365 days a year at Debra Steinbacher’s home.

That’s because Steinbacher spends her days surrounded by miniature toys and sleds, remnants of velvet and tartan plaid, and clumps of mohair and wool. These elements and more are incorporated into sculptures of Santa Claus.

Steinbacher’s creations, which average about 2 feet in height, are made of polymer-fired clay over wire armatures. The artisan fires the clay; sculpts the face, hands, upper chest, and legs; applies color to the facial features; and constructs the clothing. In short, she crafts every component except for the European glass eyes and some of the accessories. Steinbacher says she is a regular at antiques and thrift stores, searching for just the right vintage smoking jacket that she cuts down to fit, or delighting in finding an antique toy sheep to tuck under a Santa’s arm.

The artisan began sculpting St. Nick almost 10 years ago while living in College Station, Texas. An elementary school teacher by day, Steinbacher became interested in the art form after dabbling in holiday decorating for friends. It was a creative outlet after a day spent with her students. She grew disenchanted, however, with the ready-made Santas that were available. “Things that are out of scale really bother me,” she explains. “At that time, the Santas on the market had hands that were too large or too small, for example, or an accessory would be too large for the body. I started thinking I would like to make these myself.”

Fired heads and arms await construction.

Steinbacher’s jump-start into the world of sculpting occurred when her husband, Jim, surprised her with a Christmas gift— a class with sculptor Judith Klawitter in Missoula, Montana. “It was an exciting, beautiful place, and I came back knowing I wanted to sculpt on my own,” recalls the Scottsdale resident, whose three adult children encouraged her. A second class, this one with award-winning dollmaker Jack Johnston of Utah, led to a public showing of Steinbacher’s sculptures at the 2002 International Toy Fair in New York. Orders soon began coming in.

The artist’s creations are extraordinarily detailed. When Santa is holding a book, for example, each page contains printed text; it’s not simply a book cover with blank pages glued together. If a Santa is holding a pipe, it often is an antique—possibly a salesman’s sample from another era. She uses vintage clothing, shoes and accessories whenever possible.

Details take a lot of time; Steinbacher estimates she spends 50 to 60 hours on each figure. This does not include antiquing trips. “I might search a year for just the right fabric, but hunting for the costumes is the real fun,” she admits with a smile.