Every year about this time, I like to create some crafty element to add to my Christmas Decorations. This year, while perusing Pinterest, I saw some adorable snowmen made from huge chunks of wood. Had I still been living in Wisconsin, finding logs like this would have been easy, but living in Texas posed a problem.
These guys are so cute, but I really wanted to create something that was not so heavy and utilized items I had easily at hand.
So, first, I looked around for a basic shape – and found three rectangular boxes in the garage. Taping them shut and then applying paper mache’ gave them texture and an easily paintable surface.
The first coat of paint was Gesso, subsequent coats were simple acrylics. Once the white had dried, I painted the faces. Note in the picture below that I then decide that my snowmen could do double-duty as ghosts for next Halloween!
In the image above you can see how they look before and after painting.
After the paint was all dried, I brushed on two coats of Modge Podge – now they can weather about any (indoor) storm!
Next up were the hats and scarfs. I dug around in my stash and found some fleece in Green, Yellow and Burgundy.
It was easy to take the extra cut offs, cut them into strips almost to the end and then put them inside the (inside out) hat and sew it down. When the hat is turned right side out, the tassle looks very cute!
NOTE: the boxes are quite a bit larger than a human head, so it is important to take that into account when making the hats.
The scarves were very simply a strip of the same fabric that was cut into fringe on the ends.
Lastly, we used a timer’d set of white lights and batting to create a lighted snow blanket effect.
By making my snowman family in this manner, I was able to:
- Use items from around the house
- Save money – this project cost me less than $20.00
- Create decorations that are light and easy to store
- Make decorations that serve a dual purpose – the ghosts will be fun next Halloween (I painted the back sides with Ghost faces)
What fun projects are you thinking up this Holiday Season?
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