Upcycled Snowmen With Sugru

To start, gather your shakers. You could also use small bottles or jars and top your little snowmen with other types of “hats” (instead of shaker tops)… so many possibilities!

Fill your shakers with “snow”. You can use any kind of glitter. I love the old-fashioned mica glitter flakes, although they are a bit more expensive. I got a little box online a few years back.

Next, pull out some of your moldable air-dry clay. Roll it into a “head” between your hands. Tip: make sure your hands are clean. This clay picks up every little bit of fuzz off and dirt it can find! But don’t worry, if that happens I have a solution (I’ll share below). Try not to have any cracks in the clay, as they will widen when the clay dries. You can wet your fingers slightly to smooth it over, if needed.

Now put your head on top of your shaker, and set the hat on. Don’t be afraid to “squish” it down a bit. Real snowmen don’t have perfectly round heads, and you want to give these guys some character!

The next step is to poke your snowman’s eyes and mouth with a pencil. You could use anything sharp, but I like the pencil because the lead darkened the holes as I poked, making them stand out a bit more. I also poked a hole where I wanted the nose to go -- you’ll see why in a few steps! Let the head dry for 24 hours.

Now we are getting to the really the fun part – attach the head & hat, and add a nose!

Remove all the parts (the clay is not a glue, and with a gentle prod they will come apart). I used the new formula white Sugru to attach the head to the shaker, and then the hat to the head. Sugru works so much better than glue because it doesn’t drip, and it holds the pieces in place while it dries. Ever had the issue of glue running down your piece… or pieces slipping and drying at weird angles… or big blobs of hot glue showing?! (Sigh… the lift of a crafter… LOL!). These complications don’t happen when you use Sugru. And if any extra Sugru shows after you press the pieces together to join them, just scrape it off with your fingernail and use it for the next piece. A little goes a long way. Oh, and did I mention that the white Sugru blends in perfectly with the rest of the “snow” head?

It is time to add a nose! I used the brown Sugru for this part. Just make a little carrot shape and insert it into the hole that you poked earlier. So cute, and it glues itself in place!

I also used brown Sugru to attach buttons and other bits & pieces to the glass, hats, etc. Be sure to let all of your Sugru parts dry between 12 and 24 hours.

To finish off these fun little guys, you can tie on fabric or ribbon scraps for a scarf. I also used some vintage lace. And if you are like me, you may want to add little bits like keys, sparkles taken from broken necklaces, and wires with charms. I hand stamped some of the “joy” and “wish” charms. (I also make and sell stamped jewelry and accessories – you can see more on my Instagram and Facebook pages.)

Oh! I almost forgot! For a final touch, I added a little bit of rosy to their cheeks with some pink eyeshadow I had on hand. You could also use a light wash of paint (watered down).

If you make some, please share. I would love to see what you come up with! And you can enjoy 10% off your first order if you sign up for the Sugru newsletter here!

Happy Creating!

Xo,

Jamey