Build Yourself A Vintage Style Snowman

Paperclay is a fantastic material to use. It dries quickly without having to heat it in the oven, can be sanded or drilled after it's dried and you can even add onto it after it's dried to create your project in various stages. Another cool thing about Paperclay is that you can add water to it if it starts to dry out a bit and you can even add a little acrylic paint to it to tint it before you begin your project. Paperclay is easy to work with and that's what I used for the body of my snowman.

To create the body of your snowman, pinch off a bit of Paperclay. Store the rest in a ziploc bag so it does not dry out. Roll it into a ball and flatten it. Wrap it around your styrofoam ball (I used a 2" ball), stretching as you go, so a thin layer covers your ball. Should it tear as you are working, simply add a little more Paperclay and smooth with your finger. You can have a small cup of water on hand to smooth out your ball as you work. Stick a shish kebab skewer through hit and then push it into a piece of foam to dry. I've also used empty water bottles filled with sand and then just put my skewer down in it like a vase holding a flower.

I found these great honeycomb picks at my local craft store and they were actually the inspiration for my project. If you cannot find these, simply use a 1" styrofoam ball and cover it with clay as you did the Snowman's body. Or, you can use those Satin spun Christmas balls if you happen to find them in your local craft store or perhaps a thrift store. Anything round will work as your Snoman's head.

This is just a photo showing how your Snowman will look with the honeycomb pick as the head. If you use a styrofoam ball, you can use a shish kebab skewer to join the two body parts. Just make sure to secure your skewer with glue and let it dry before you pull it through the bottom part of the body.

I found one of the Stamp sets where you can create your own address label type stamps. I used it to make a stamp that somewhat resembles what is stamped on the bottom of the vintage Snowmen that I have in my collection. Mine are all stamped "Made in Japan." Anyway, I thought it would be a nice touch!

To build your snowman, work on the parts separately so they can dry prior to assembly. 

• If you have any accessories for your snowman, work on them first. I made a broom for mine from a toothpick, some paper from the scrapbooking section. I used a piece of aluminum foil between the front piece of paper and the back piece of paper I cut for my broom. Then, I added a tiny bit of glue and sprinkled it with some clear glitter to make it look like snow. I stuck it in my foam along with my extra Snowman bodies to dry. 
• Your Snowman will need something to stand on if you want to put him in a Christmas display. I found some great decorative paper doily pieces used for backgrounds in the scrapbooking section of my local craft store. I cut a circle just a bit smaller than my doily out of the top of a discarded shoebox, stamped the bottom with my special stamp and then glued the two together. You could also use a small paper box, a vintage tin or even a spool to display your Snowman. 
• For the head, cut some eyes and a mouth from either paper or felt and glue it to your Snowman's face. Next add your hat if you have one. You can either use a plastic one like I have purchased, make one from felt or paper, or even use the tip of a finger from a worn out pair of gloves. Set it aside to dry. 
• For the body, remove it from the shish kebab skewer. Cut some arms from a bump chenille stem. You can use a regular chenille stem if you'd like. Bend them in half and pinch as tight as you can. Insert in the top hole of your Snowman's body. Next, push your Snowman's head through the same hole. When the tip of the skewer or pick comes through the bottom, gently pull it down until your head almost meets your body. Now, if you'd like to add a scarf or a bow tie, now is the time. To add a chenille stem scarf like I did, just cut the length that you want and twist it around his neck. Now, pull your pick or skewer down so the head does meet the body and snip off the excess on the lower half of your Snowman's body so he will sit flat on your stand. Add some buttons to your body and set him aside to dry. 
• Put a dab of glue on your stand. Sprinkle some clear glitter so it looks like snow and sit your entire Snowman on top of the dab of glue. Wait for it to dry and then hand your Snowman his broomstick and pose his arms. Hand yourself a hot cocoa - you deserve it!

Here's the Vintage Style Snowman complete and ready to sit in your Winter display. Some tips for this project:

• Don't use too much glue or things tend to slide around and take too long to dry. I use a shish kebab skewer (as you can tell, I use them for just about everything) and remove the cap of my glue (I use E6000) and take a little dab at a time on the tip of my skewer and apply it where I need it. 
• Tweezers are a good thing especially when working with small parts like little felt and/or paper eyes and mouths! You can use them to put them right where you want them without too much of a hassle.

I think that's about wraps up this project.  Off to build some more of these little guys - happy crafting!