With Christmas just around the corner, I thought I would write about a quick project everyone can do that is easy too. This is something that is simple to make and doesn’t take a lot of talent to do. We are going to make a snowman. You don’t have to be an expert to paint this. I have no talent when it comes to painting crafts, and even I can do this. I will provide a downloadable file with instructions for this along with some of the pictures that you see with my post. So… whose ready to get started?

This is an ornament that we sell at the craft fairs we have attended the last couple of months. We are getting a $1.00 a piece for them. If you decide to sell these, you can choose whatever price you would like. This is the price that has worked for us at a couple of the craft fairs we have attended. In another article I will discuss pricing your work.

Tools and Supplies to use.

As for tools to make this ornament, I usually use my band saw to cut these out. Only because it is faster for me on the band saw and I can cut multiples at a time. I don’t measure them; just cut them to a size I feel is fine. You don’t need an expensive tool to cut these out though. If you have a simple miter saw, that will work fine too. You could also use a scroll saw if you have one.

You’ll need some type of wood glue. I, personally, like to use Gorilla glue, which seems to hold better for me. Any type of wood glue will work for you. You will also need some paint for this ornament. I usually buy my paint at Walmart. I can usually find what I am looking for in the art section. I have also purchased my paint at Michael’s. If you have another craft store in your area, I am sure you will be able to find paint there too.

If you don’t have any paintbrushes on hand, you will want to pick up a couple of those too. Again, any craft store, Walmart or even the Dollar Tree will have something you can use. When we first started out, we decided to purchase lower quality supplies, not knowing this was something we would be continuing with. If you plan on making more crafts in the future, by all means, purchase a higher quality paintbrush. If you’re just kicking around this idea, and may not have any plans of making more, less quality is fine for now.

What I use for these is pine wood lattice trim. It comes in 8 ft sections and is 1 1/2 in wide and 1/4 in thick. I purchase these from Lowe’s but I am pretty sure you can get them at any lumber store. I found them in the trim section. I will usually cut them to varying lengths. I don’t measure these. I just eyeball them. I will also use this for the snowman’s hat by cutting them in half length wise. Again, I usually just eyeball the length for these.

You’ll also need some wire for the hook to hang them with. This can be purchased at any craft store or even Walmart. I use 19 ga. wire for ours. It is big enough to hold the ornament but not too thick so you can bend it easily. It is also easy to cut with simple wire cutters. All that is left to do is cut this out and paint it.

Assembly

When painting you snowman, you will want to dilute your paint a little with water to give it a whitewash look about it. If you choose not to use water to dilute the paint, you can sand the edges after the paint dries to give it that antique look. I prefer to use the water since it reduces that extra step. This will take a little to figure out but in the end it is well worth it. I just dip my brush in the water to get it wet and then pick up some paint on the brush and start painting. Like I said, it took a little practice to get it down, and of course, coaching from my wife. She is actually the one who does the majority of the painting for us.

For the eyes and the mouth, you can dip the end of the paint brush in the paint to get the dots. There is not set amount of dots to use for the mouth, just what works best for you or what you like. I always paint everything before I glue the hat piece on. You will also need to drill a hole in the top in order to put the wire on for the hanger.

Just like that, you have made a simple snowman ornament. I hope you have enjoyed this little project. I will start posting more projects as we go along. If there is anything project you are considering and would like to see it, please drop me a line in the comments section and I will see what I can do. so, for now, happy crafting>

Supply List

White Paint

Black Paint

Orange Pain

1½ in X 8 ft Pine Wood Lattice Trim

Paint Brushes

19 ga. Wire

Wood Glue (Gorilla Glue)

Miter Saw

Wire Cutters