DIY Styrofoam Snowmen Craft

Last weekend we had a blast making little styrofoam snowmen.  I purchased the balls with another craft in mind, and these snowmen just sort of made themselves.  Funny how crafts evolve like that, isn't it?  

My kids are 6 and 8 and pretty creative, but crafts with glue and paint require still require careful supervision.  I'm guilty of wasting glue and sticking my elbow in the paint from time to time myself.  It's no surprise my kids are the same way.  The bonus to this snowman craft is that I could get the kids started, set out the supplies, and leave them to finish on their own.  The second bonus is that these snowmen are like paper dolls in that you can remove all their fixings and re-dress them in a new way.  Fun!

I think you can tell from the photos how these snowmen are accomplished.  What I did for my kids is push the larger, and then smaller foam balls onto the bamboo skewer.  I didn't trust my kids to not skewer themselves.  The beads and buttons and such are attached with stick pins, so you'll have to judge yourselves if your kids are old enough to handle them safely.  My kids did fine--miraculously no stab wounds!

The Stocking Hats:

The stocking hats (my husband calls them toboggans??? But he's from TX so what do they know about winter gear?) were made from scraps of cloth that were stapled into a cone shape and turned inside out.  The little pom poms were just pinned right through the pom and the point of the hat and directly into the head.  

The Top Hat:

My son made his snowman's top hat with some scrapbook paper.  He pinned a circle to the snowman's head.  Then he rolled a tube of paper, securing it with masking tape, and taped it to the circle.  He also pinned a matching cape to the dapper snowman's back.  Dashing, right?  The "S" is for Super Snowman of course.

The Stick Pins:

Obviously the heads of stick pins are so tiny and the holes in buttons and many beads are so large that some adjustments must be made.  You can either put a smaller bead onto the pin before you pin on a button or you can use the stick pins with the big plastic balls on the ends.  

What to do with the finished Snowmen:

Since there is big long stick protruding from the bottom of these little dudes, I think they make perfect seasonal indoor plant decorations.  They would work great in a vase of flowers as well.  

If you add a bit of Tacky Glue (Duncan 120105 Aleenes Original in. Tacky in. Glue-2 Ounce (Google Affiliate Ad)) between the balls as you  stick them on the skewer, you can cut the end of the skewer off, add a loop of string and make a tree ornament or add it to a wreath.  

I think these little guys would make good gifts for teachers and neighbors, or a nice extra to throw in with a basket of baked goods. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.  I see some Mrs. SnowLadies in the future with kerchiefs on their heads and little aprons around their middles.  I'm sure you could come up with lots more ideas as well!

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!  Hoping you all have lots to be thankful for and are surrounded by those you love!

Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,