Toot Toot Tuesday-Sparkly Snowmen-And Baby Makes Five

I am on Maternity Leave from September 4th-October 18th: This post was contributed by Colleen at And Baby Makes Five.

I know ... I know ... it's only October and we're all doing our level best to savor the season at hand. We're busy with the back-to-school routine, Halloween costume making sessions, fall sports, and any number of equally important things that require our attention this time of year. Which means we're probably not thinking about Christmastime in earnest just yet, right? But, as always, we'll blink and there it will be. That fun, festive, and crazy time. Another season to savor.

So let's start some of that Christmastime crafty fun today! These little snowmen are simple to make -- even with the kiddos -- and they are just so sweet, inexpensive, and versatile too. You can make them to keep, give them away, or display them all winter long.

You will need:

mixing bowl
spoon
measuring cup

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup warm water

cookie cutters
rolling pin
freezer paper/aluminum foil
baking sheets

craft paints
paint brushes
paper towels

spray poly
adhesive spray
clear glitter

Step 1: Mix flour and salt together, combining well. Add warm water and stir (I use my hands) to form a slightly stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead several times until smooth. Return to bowl and cover tightly if not using right away.

Step 2: When you're ready to start making your bowl fillers, roll out a small piece of dough on a lightly floured surface. I like mine to be a bit on the thick side, but you can experiment and make yours as thick/thin as you like.

Step 3: Use a circular cookie cutter/biscuit cutter or small glass to cut out your shapes. You can re-roll the used dough once or twice, but if it starts to crack, move on to a fresh ball of dough.

Step 4: When you've cut out all of your circles, use a knife to cut them in half, making a collection of crescent-shaped snowmen faces-to-be.

Step 5: The next step involves making and attaching the carrot noses. Roll just a small pinch of dough between your fingers until it looks like a carrot. Dip a paintbrush in water and wet the back of the carrot. (You may also want to brush a little water on the part of the crescent where the two pieces of dough will attach.) Press the carrot onto the crescent and pat gently to secure. You can mold the carrot slightly to change its shape if you wish.

Step 6: When the snowmen faces are ready, arrange them on your cookie sheets and bake at 300º for 45-60 minutes. Keep an eye on them toward the end so they don't get too brown or crispy. I often arrange them on top of a piece of foil -- which I re-use later for the painting and sealing steps. Your cut-outs can be fairly close together as they will not spread. **If you want to make hanging ornaments, poke holes in them now before baking.**

Step 7: Set your snowmen aside to cool after baking. You can let them sit out and harden for a day or so if they need it, or you can paint them as soon as they are cool to the touch.

Step 8: Now the fun and creativity begins! Base coat your snowmen with whatever version of white strikes your fancy. I used Buttermilk and Bleached Sand.

Step 9: When the base coat is dry, take a small brush and carefully paint the noses orange. If you like rosy cheeks like I do, dab a bit of pink paint on with a stencil brush. Set aside to dry.

Step 10: Give your snowmen some personality with eyes, mouths, and varying facial expressions. Use black paint and a fine paintbrush or toothpick for this step. Set aside to dry and then seal with spray poly if you like the bright white, clean-looking tones.

Step 11: If you prefer an aged or slightly dirtier looking snowman, dilute some brown craft paint with water and then dab it on and wipe it off until you achieve the desired effect.

Step 12: When the poly is dry, spray each snowman lightly with adhesive and sprinkle with glitter. Tap off any excess.

Thanks so much for indulging me today! If you're looking for more inexpensive and inspirational Christmastime crafty fun, please stop by And Baby Makes Five and make yourself at home. The more, the merrier! Always.