{Melted} Snowman Ornaments

I cannot believe how easy these were to make and how stinkin' cute they turned out! I've seen them all over Pinterest (search melted snowman ornament) and after looking at a few different blogs I learned one thing: you can pretty much use whatever supplies you want! If you know me, I'm a 'use what I have on hand cause I don't want to put shoes on and go to the store' kind of girl so this is perfect for me!

All of my supplies came from Walmart, Michael's and my craft room. I already had the glass bulbs from the No Mess {Glitter} Ornaments post that I did earlier. As I was making these I thought it might be better to use plastic bulbs in case the kids want to play with it but I realized quickly that the snowman will get lost if the bulb is shaken up. I'm not sure how to prevent this {so let me know if you have ideas!} but I figured if the ornament was glass it would be less likely to get into tiny hands. But on the other hand, if it does get broken, it will be messy. So you decide!

If you don't have a funnel, take an envelope, cut off the corner and then snip the corner of that. Voila! Instant funnel! You'll also want a stick or tweezers to place items where you want them in the bulb. I used a chop stick but I think anything long and skinny would work. The spoon is for measuring the snow. I measured the first one and then just dumped the rest in until they were close to the same level. Add as much or as little as you want. I liked them about 1/3 full. Just remember, the more you add, the heavier your ornament will be.
I've found many variations for the snow, eyes and buttons. Use what looks good to you. I liked the subtle sparkle of the epson salt, the jagged twinkle of the beads, and the tiny buttons were just adorable!
For the scarves I used some fabric that I had left over from a blanket I made years ago for my husband. It was the most scarf-y material I had. Use whatever you have on hand or try the scrap bin at the fabric store. You don't need very much at all. Mine are about 3 inches long but again, do what looks good to you!
If you can find mini carrots, awesome! Saves you a step. Maybe try a doll making shop. Possibly Hobby Lobby. My Hobby Lobby is 30 minutes away so I opted to make my own out of clay. They turned out so cute though I think I prefer it this way.

Assembly turned out to be much quicker and easier than I thought it would be. This would make a fun kids craft or little or big kids. And if your little kids make one and end up shaking it up, it becomes a seek and find ornament! Bonus!

If you have any questions, suggestions, or if you make your own please feel free to leave a comment!

 

No Mess {Glitter} Ornaments

Quick and easy craft! No mess {glitter} ornaments. The trick is, the {glitter} is on the inside so it doesn't get all over everything. You can leave them plain like the one I did below or personalize them anyway you want using vinyl, stickers, paint, ribbon, etc. I plan to add vinyl and ribbon to mine later.

 

Supplies:

Clear Ornament

Adhesive and Water OR Pledge Floor Care Finish

Glitter {fine works best}

Embellishments including ribbon, paint, and vinyl

 

I used what I had on hand which was a mixture of Alene's Tack It Over and Over adhesive {found at craft stores} and water. But I later found a blog that uses floor wax. I don't know which is better but I do want to try their technique.

The first step is obviously get a clear bulb. I found mine at Hobby Lobby for half off. I believe it was $4 for a pack of 12. I also got some giant bulbs that I'm excited to decorate!

Now remove the top carefully. When I made my bulb I made a mixture of glue and water and added it to the bulb. Not sure exactly how much of each but it was pretty runny. I rolled the ornament around so the entire inside was covered. Then I dumped the rest back into my bottle. Make sure to roll it, not shake it. You don't want the glue to bubble up. Next I poured in my {glitter}. Again roll it around so all the sides are covered. Cover the hole with your finger and lightly shake it so it covers around the opening. Finally, dump the excess {glitter} back into the container. You may have to tap, roll, and shake it to get it all out. Last, put the top back on and you're done! As you can see I have a lot of work still to do.

These are great if you don't like the mess from regular {glitter} ornaments or for a fun craft to do with the kids. Or maybe you just can't find the right color bulbs for your tree. I plan to personalize these with names and the year. Let me know how your no mess glitter ornaments turn out!

 

Thanks to the following for letting me take something from your closet!

http://www.plumadorable.com/