Snowman Hack

This Christmas season We are completely obsessed with everything SNOWMEN and I mean everything, so we decided to try and decorate our porch with a huge snowman!! But We searched high and low for a big, cheap one,but with no such luck, everything was super expensive or worse tiny and expensive , so I decided to try my hand at this project and used a little creativity and a whole lotta inspiration from everywhere!!!

The total cost for this snowman was less than 10 dollars , I used everything I could from around the house , so start a looking!!!


MATERIALS:

Cheap plastic balls ( Walmart 99 cents each)
Styrofoam
Sharp knife
Paper maché : (newspaper, water,
vinegar,flour,salt, Elmers's glue ,water)
Garland
2 Santa hats ( 99 cents at dollar tree)
Spray paint/ house paint ( I had them both from a previous project)
Strand of lights
Wire hanger


***** keep in mind, this project WILL take some time because your working with paper maché, everything has to dry completely before you add a second layer ALWAYS, also don't be afraid to experiment, and add your own creative twist on an old classic, and most importantly HAVE FUN!****

Step 1: Mix It Up!!

Mix up your paper maché mix, ( remember there is no exact formula for this , I usually use 1 and a half cup of flour 1/4 of water 2 tsp of vinegar, a dash of salt and a lot of Elmers glue, a lot!) start by cutting your newspaper in large squares and start dipping them on the formula back and front , remember to get rid of the excess mixture against the bowl and start placing them on your 1rst ball , cover it completely and let dry,
Paint it white ( any white will due, I used true white from lowes)
And white enamel from dollar general

Grab your styrofoam and start carving into it, forming circles as you do, hot glue on to the snowman (eyes and mouth)now paint black,

Grab another piece of styrofoam and cut it into a smaller long piece , now we can use for a nose, be creative with this, and paint it orange!

Step 2: Build Your Snowman

Now this is the tricky part..... How do you make them stay? I used a very thick paper maché formula ( add more flour) and added lotsa layers to connect both balls , now do this one at a time I wanted my structure to be super tough so i laid it on the flour and let it sit there for usually anywhere from 24-30 hours , I know it seems like a lot, but you'll be pleased when you see the end result, do this with as many balls as you want , I used 3 plus the head, I did however have a lot of trouble with the 3 rd ball, even when I tried to coat it a million times , plus let it dry forever and a day so I decided to ditch it........and go on with my snowman project :)

Step 3: Paint and Decorate!

I used an old box to make a stable base for my little snowman, I painted the snowman w old house paint and then used a glossy white spray to coat it, I used old styrofoam circles I had carved out earlier hot glue them on for buttons, I also used a stick I had from an old Halloween project for hands.... Now use a white fabric to dress the bottom of your snowman , it'll look as if it's sitting on snow and help reflect the light , now braid your garland with your lights and connect, now enjoy!!!!
Merry Xmas !!!!




****remember to always have fun when making Xmas projects, they don't have to be perfect to everyone, just perfect to you****