I make a new wreath each year for the Christmas holiday, but for this year, I decided to go a different route and try to make a different form of greeting for my door. After playing with a few ideas, I came up with this creation. My snowman is approximately 2 1/2 feet tall, but you can adapt this project and make him any size you'd like.
Approximate Time: 2-3 hrs.
Supplies:
- heavy cardboard
- fiberfill in rolled form
- white material
- scrap piece of orange felt
- black marker
- white sweater
- child's knit gloves
- wired wreath form
- scarf or material
- trims of your choice
Instructions:
- For head, cut a circle from heavy cardboard in the size you have decided that you want your snowman to be. I used a large plate for a template to trace a circle.
- Cut a circle from white material larger than cardboard circle. You need it big enough to be able to gather it in the back of the cardboard after stuffing.
- Make a nose from orange felt and stuff lightly. Sew to center of material circle.
- Draw on eyes and mouth. I used blush to rub onto the cheeks.
- Make a running stitch all around outer edge.
- Place layers of stuffing in it and place cardboard circle on top. Pull thread until it gathers behind the cardboard and put in a few stitches to hold closed. Also, I used hot glue in several areas to secure it to the cardboard.
- At bottom of sweater, cut off enough so that the sweater is the correct size for your snowman. You can use this excess to make his hat.
- Slide the wreath form into the chest area and sew bottom of sweater closed. I used a raised wired one usually used to make pine cone wreaths.
- Make a few stitches up near the neck line to hold the wreath form in place.
- There is no stuffing in the sleeves. Stuff the gloves lightly, but firmly enough to form the hands. Insert each sleeve into a glove and sew them closed.
- Bring hands to the front and sew together.
- Attach head to sweater by sewing it to the sweater at the neck.
- Wrap neck with a scarf or you can use a large strip of material. I cut out material hearts and stitched them to the scarf.
- To make hat, gather the cut off piece of sweater and sew it onto the head. Tie it in the middle and let it flop. Stuff hat lightly with a few layers of fiberfill.
If you did not have to trim your sweater, you can use a cap or make a hat from the white material by just forming a tube. I put a band around the edge of hat using a strip of material and sewed it on. I tied ribbon in the center and allowed it to flop forward.
- You can glue bows onto the gloves and a piece of holly onto the hat.
- I wanted to put ear muffs on mine and needed large ones so I cut a square from cardboard and wrapped yarn around it many times. Slide the yarn off and tie the bundle in the center by using another piece of yarn. Snip all ends and spread the yarn out, forming it into a ball and trim to desired length. Sew onto each side of head.
- I purchased a small cinnamon wicker broom and attached it to the front of the snowman.
- Sew a loop on the back to hang him.
By Mary from Palm Coast, FL
