Crafts
WinterToddlersPreschoolers23 Comments
Recycle tin cans with this snowman craft that is perfect for winter.
This snowman craft (that’s also a wind chime) was so fun. I’ve had this idea in my head the entire fall and couldn’t wait to find the time to do it with the boys!
Things started rocky, for sure, but I do love the end result.
It started out that I didn’t have any white paint. Well, honestly, I did. Just not very much. I had a small jar of it from the washable paints that the boys used.
But we needed enough to cover 3 giant tin cans (coffee can size!).
Find more snowman crafts for kids here.
I asked my fellow craft friends for ideas to use for white paint. I’ve made homemade paint before. But honestly, white threw me for a loop.
Our solution was the good ol’ shaving cream and glue mixture. It’s puffy paint and it gave the tin cans the perfect effect for a snowman!
George covered a tin can with the paint mixture using a sponge. I painted the others myself. Henry was just too busy at the time to help, or so he said…
With the paint still wet, George sprinkled on a lot of Frosty Snow flakes (affiliate link). I had a lot of this on hand, so that’s what I chose to use. White glitter would look awesome too.
While everything was still wet, we put on the snowman parts.
I pulled together 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth, and three buttons from the idea from our interactive snowman fridge. I made them all magnetic by hot gluing it onto magnetic buttons (affiliate link).
The eyes are made from black pom poms.
The nose is 2 orange pom poms and a small piece of a pipe cleaner (though I now think it should just be 3 pom poms, with the last one being a smaller one).
The mouth is a red pipe cleaner (magnets on each end).
The 3 buttons are black foam pieces cut into circles.
Red ribbon was also used as a scarf.
I tied the three tin cans together with yarn and washers.
This was actually trickier than I thought. Its easier to start at the bottom of the snowman and work your way to the top.
Tie a washer one, thread through a hole at the top of the tin can [made using a nail, be careful of sharp edges]. Figure out the distance to the top of the next can with some spacing in between and tie another washer. And so on.
(Note: I didn’t add additional nuts and washers this time to make this a true wind chime. If you’d like to, just add more washers along the yarn when you’re stringing it through. It’ll clang against the side of the tin cans.)
Then hang it somewhere low enough that the kids can decorate it!
A snowman made using marshmallows is an easy beginner hands on activity!
I just simply tied the ribbon around the yarn loosely for the scarf. The rest Henry did!
I took our snowman craft outside and hung it on the porch.
(The Frosty Snow flakes (affiliate link) fall off every time you bump it, so if you’d like to keep it inside, maybe don’t use them).
The boys wanted to be able to see their snowman from the windows, so I had to make sure it was strategically placed!
What’s your favorite way to make a snowman?
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Maria says
This is awesome tin can snowman, since we don’t have snow here on our place, I am going to make lot’s of tin can snowman, my kids will definitely gonna love this! Thanks for sharing!
Cindy deRosier says
I’m the Editorial Assistant for Fun Family Crafts and I wanted to let you know that we have featured your project! You can see it here:
http://funfamilycrafts.com/tin-can-snowman/
If you have other kid-friendly craft tutorials, we’d love for you to submit them. If you’d like to display a featured button on your site, you can get one from the right side bar of your post above. Thanks for a neat project idea!
Crystal McClean says
I love using the puffy paint for added texture! Thank you for linking up to Mom’s Library, I’ll be featuring you this week at Castle View Academy.
Happy New Year!!
Jamie Reimer says
Thanks Crystal!
Sarah says
Can you tell me how long the fluffy glue takes to dry and how well it stays on after it drys?
Jamie Reimer says
I don’t remember how long it took to dry. Just like glue I guess. It stays on fine, but we ours on the edge of our porch and by the end of the season, it was washed off on the outside.
Carolyn says
Oh, this does look like fun. Certainly a unique way to make a snowman. And he looks good too!
Carrie says
Oh, I love this. My daughter keeps wanting to make snowmen but we really haven’t gotten a good snow for it. This is a wonderful idea. I think we will have to try it. Thank you for sharing it!!
Trisha @ Inspiration Laboratories says
I love how the pieces are magnetic.
Amie says
I Love that you used the shaving cream and glue… It gave it such great texture :) sometimes the mistakes we think we make turn out to be the best. Cute idea.
Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree says
So cute! I love this! You and your tin can ideas…
Ashley says
This is adorable! I would love for you to sahre it at Mom’s Library Link-Up!
http://lifewithmoorebabies.blogspot.com/2013/01/moms-library-2-for-me.html