Come see how to make simple DIY snowman ornaments from wooden blocks. Most supplies are already owned by the typical DIY-er!
Guess what everyone? It snowed this weekend! Now, as someone who hasn’t lived somewhere that gets snow in about a decade, I was pretty excited.
Not only because of the snow, but because for the first time in ages, it actually felt like Christmas. I can’t be the only one whose childhood programmed them to only feel Christmas-y when it’s cold and snowing outside, right?
Now, full disclosure, it’s actually mid-November. Not exactly Christmas, yet. But I wasn’t about to let the Christmas spirit totally pass me by, so I spent the day making these super cute DIY snowman ornaments.
These snowmen are super cute and easy, and are made mostly with supplies DIY-ers already had around the house. I picked up some wooden blocks from Home Depot, but that was it!
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Materials
– Wooden Blocks– I got a set of eight from Home Depot for around 3 dollars. I’m sure you could find them at most craft stores (as well as Amazon!)
– Sandpaper– I used 120 grit and 220 grit sandpaper, but any combo of a medium and fine grit sandpaper would probably be fine.
– White Paint– I used acrylic craft paint since I had it around the house, but honestly, latex or spray paint would probably be fine too.
– Small Paint Brush
– Black and Orange Sharpie (or acrylic paint)- I used a sharpie to draw the face on, because I thought I’d have better control with a pen than I would with paint, but either would probably work.
– Ribbon (for bow)
– Twine or String (for hanging)
– Screw Eyes– I have these tiny ones left over from another project. They were perfect for this, but if you only have larger ones, they’d probably be fine too.
– Hot Glue and Gun
– Drill and 1/16″ Drill Bit– For drilling a pilot hole for the eyelet screw.
DIY Snowman Ornaments
Step 1: Paint the Blocks
I painted all of the blocks with two coats of white acrylic paint. The paint dries super fast, so with actually went pretty quickly.
Step 2: Sand the Blocks
I wanted to have a little bit of contrast around the face of the snowmen, so I sanded all the edges on all the blocks with 120 grit sandpaper.
This was definitely the most time consuming step, and honestly, probably doesn’t make that big of a difference in the final product, so you could probably skip it if you’re short on time.
I also sanded the faces of the blocks with 220 grit sandpaper, since they felt a bit bumpy. I would recommend doing this- it goes fast, and makes the blocks seem much nicer.
Do you see how wood is visible at the edges of the blocks? That’s from my sanding!
Step 3: Draw/Paint the Faces
I had both black and orange acrylic paint and Sharpies. I ultimately decided to use the Sharpies, because I thought I’d have better control over it, however I think the paint is definitely an option if you have small brushes and are somewhat skilled at painting.
Step 4: Add Screw Eyes
I started by drilling a single, tiny pilot hole in the top of each snowman. I just eyeballed the center- no need to measure.
Then I screwed (by hand) the screw eyes into each of the holes.
Step 5: Add Twine or String
Thread a 8-10 inch piece (I eyeballed this too…) into the screw eye and tie a knot. I wanted the knot to stay at the screw eye, so I secured it there with some hot glue.
Step 6: Make and Add Bow
If you’re thinking “oh no, I’m terrible at making bows,” it’s okay, me too. Every time I go to make a bow, it turns out crazy. But for these, I followed this handy 4-step process by Better Home and Gardens, and they turned out at least semi-cute.
To add the bow, I simply secured it to screw eye with hot glue.
FAQs
How long did the wooden snowman ornaments take to make?
Two-ish hours for all eight, and that was mostly waiting for the paint to dry!
Could I do this with kids?
Not a parent here, so take this with a grain of salt, but probably, given that you (an adult) drilled the pilot holes and helped with the hot glue gun.
How much did this cost?
I had everything else on hand, so I paid a whopping $3 for the wooden blocks. If you’ve got an moderate craft supply inventory, you’ll probably be in similar shape.
Otherwise, I could see the cost of this project racking up quickly if you need to buy all the supplies new.
Do you have any other holiday ornaments?
Yes! These embroidery hoop ornaments are super cute and crazy easy to make!
I also tried a bunch of ornaments I saw on Pinterest – go check out my results if you’re looking for tried and true projects!
Final Thoughts
While I haven’t put up my tree yet, I am now super excited to do so! The snowmen ornaments will look so cute!
I plan to put a couple on my tree, and give the rest away as Christmas gifts. While I don’t have any kids of my own, as a former teacher, I think these would be an awesome holiday teacher gift for those of you looking for ideas!
If you make them, let me know what you do with them in the comments! And if you think you might make these, be sure to save this post to Pinterest so you can find it again later!
