A Multidimensional Holiday Tribute Inspired by The Muppet Christmas Carol
© Disney - This is the photo that sparked our inspiration. It is also used as the title art of the film.
An image of our intitial paint strokes over the penciled sketch of the illustration.
This holiday season, our creative team took on a passion project inspired by The Muppet Christmas Carol—a film that blends warmth, humor, and timeless storytelling. Rather than creating a traditional flat illustration, we challenged ourselves to build a large-scale, multidimensional scene that captured both the spirit of the film and the joy of hands-on making.
The centerpiece of the project is a hand-painted wood panel measuring four by six feet. Across this surface, we illustrated several of our favorite characters and moments from the film. Miss Piggy, Kermit, Gonzo, and Robin the Frog are depicted in their iconic roles as Mrs. Cratchit, Bob Cratchit, Charles Dickens, and Tiny Tim, respectively. Each character was painted with careful attention to expression, costume detail, and narrative placement within the scene.
Jonathan standing next to the board for size comparision. This was truly a collaboration of everyone’s talents.
To elevate the piece beyond a traditional mural, we incorporated physical, three-dimensional elements. Miss Piggy is adorned with an actual holiday bow, adding texture and depth. A Victorian-style lamppost anchors the scene and is decorated with festive greenery. From this lamppost hang candlelit lanterns, along with an animated, sculptural recreation of Rizzo the Rat—his tail humorously “lit” as he tumbles downward, frozen mid-fall with a look of complete shock at his predicament.
The process of creating this installation was as rewarding as the final result. It required experimentation, problem-solving, and collaboration across painting, construction, and lighting techniques. While there are certainly refinements we would like to explore in future iterations, this project succeeded in what it set out to do: provide a joyful, creative challenge and a shared experience rooted in storytelling and craftsmanship.
The wind and rain gave us some trouble, but with enough reinforcements, we did succeed!
As a holiday project, it reminded us why we love making things together; testing ideas, pushing formats, and turning inspiration into something tangible.
This project took the whole crew to make. Jonathan gathered the supplies and made a wooden frame for the painting to stand on. Liv and Julie painted it over the course of a whole week, and Ava and Taylor set up the lamppost!
Rizzo the rat (hanging from the lamp post) was a combined effort of everyone in the group. It was a lot of fun molding plastic, cutting out fur and fabric, and setting his tail alight.
This is the first year we have put something like this together, and it’s one of our best projects yet!
We love watching this classic film every year on Christmas Eve when there is only one more sleep ‘til Christmas! There is so much in this film to inspire!