Clay Pot Snowman Tutorial

Look what the winter storm just blew in — a jovial snowman to bring cheer to you and your family throughout the season. Made of clay pots, it's a holiday decoration that looks perfect standing guard at the front porch, or sitting inside on the mantel or by your fireplace. He'll be such a hit with everyone, the reception will be anything but frosty.

snowman

Things You\’ll Need

  • 4 clay pots: 1 large, 1 medium, 1 small, 1 extra small

  • White spray paint

  • Paint brush

  • Black acrylic paint

  • Permanent glue

  • Buttons

  • Cork

  • Orange acrylic paint

  • Twigs

  • Piece of fabric

  • Craft pom pom

materials

Step 1: Paint the Clay Pots

Wipe off the clay pots with a damp cloth to remove any dust or debris. Spray paint the exterior of the large, medium and small clay pots white. (The diameters of the pots in this tutorial were 8 inches, 6 inches and 4 1/2 inches.) You will need about three even coats to achieve a uniform white color. If you prefer not to use spray paint, you can apply white acrylic paint instead. Just be sure to select an acrylic paint that is weatherproof if you are planning on displaying the snowman outside.

spray paint

Paint the smallest clay pot with black weatherproof acrylic paint. The pot used here has a diameter of 3 1/2 inches.

black paint

Step 2: Stack the Three White Pots

Place the largest clay pot upside down. Apply some permanent glue around the edge of the clay pot's bottom (which is now facing up). Then nestle the medium-sized clay pot upside down on top of the large one. Apply glue to the edge of the medium pot's bottom, and fit the small pot on top of that.

stack

Tip

If you want to be able to take this snowman apart at the end of the season for easier storage, you can skip the glue. You'll just have to be careful when moving it so that the clay pots don't topple.

Step 3: Add the Hat

Place the black clay pot upside down on the stack of white pots. The black pot is the snowman's hat. Glue the hat in place.

hat

Step 4: Glue On the Eyes

For the eyes, glue two large buttons right below the black rim of the hat.

eyes

Step 5: Give It a Nose

An old cork from a wine bottle makes the perfect nose. Clean it, allow to dry, and then paint it with orange acrylic paint.

cork

Glue the orange cork underneath the two eyes. Because of the size of the nose, it will want to move around, even with glue. Hold it in position with your fingers until the glue sets.

nose

Step 6: Make It Smile

Form a smile by gluing smaller buttons underneath the nose in a curved pattern. You can also draw a smile with a black marker, but the buttons give it a fanciful flair.

smile

Step 7: Add More Buttons

The snowman needs more buttons down the front of his body to give the suggestion of clothing. Evenly line up three to four buttons under the head and glue them in place.

buttons

Step 8: Give It Arms

For arms, use twigs that are between 6 to 8 inches long. Choose twigs that have multiple offshoots at one end, so the snowman will appear to have fingers. Glue the twigs to the rim of the white clay pot on top. The rim acts like the snowman's shoulders.

arms

Step 9: Wrap a Scarf

Cut a piece of fabric that is about 6 inches wide and 30 inches long. Wrap it around the neck of the snowman. The scarf also helps keeps the twig arms locked in place.

scarf

Step 10: Top the Hat

Glue a large craft pom pom to the top of the hat. Besides being oh-so-stylish, the pom pom hides the drainage hole in the clay pot.

pom pom

This snowman won't melt, but it will melt your heart.

clay snowman

Related Stories

Discover

Caught in the Middle

Caught in the MiddleHelp for the Sandwich Generation- Twenty million American adults are caring for aging parents at the same time they\'re raising young children. Known as the Sandwich Generation, the

The Importance of Senior Fitness

The Importance of Senior Fitness- According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), exercise and physical activity are some of the best things older adults can do to stay healthy. Even moderate ex

Grandparent Getaways

Grandparent GetawaysTrips to take with your grandchildren- \"No parents allowed.\" It\'s not a sign on a kid-only clubhouse, it\'s the first rule of travel for memory-making grandparent/grandchild vacatio

Comfortably Aging in Place

Comfortably Aging in PlaceHaving lived in the same ranch house for 55 years, John Heck’s grandparents wanted to make any and all necessary accommodations to allow them to peacefully age in place. Usin

Aging with Vitality, Grace and Confidence

Aging with Vitality, Grace and ConfidenceIt’s one of the great ironies of life: Your reward for surviving the tumultuous teen years, establishing a career and nurturing a family culminates in dry skin

3 Ways Seniors Can Control Prescription Costs

3 Ways Seniors Can Control Prescription CostsFor 55 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, the New Year means any new Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plans, or any changes to your existing pl

Popular Categories