Snowman Ornaments

I make these ornaments with my students every year and they always turn out so cute!  The best part is that they are super easy to make.  You begin with salt dough:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

I also mix in white tempera paint to whiten the color up a bit. This recipe usually makes plenty for a class of 25.  If the dough is sticky, add more flour.  If it's too dry, add more water.  Here is the step-by-step:

1.  Give each student a rectangle of parchment paper, and have them write their name at the top.  I use parchment paper because it can be put in the oven without catching fire, and it allows me to keep track of whose snowman is whose while they are too soft to write on.

2.  Give each student a golf-ball sized chunk of white salt dough and have them separate it into three equal chunks.  They need to roll these chunks between their hands to make them into balls.  Caution them to do this quickly.  If the dough is handled too much it will get sticky!

3.  Have them place the largest ball at the bottom of their parchment paper.  Using the side of their hand, while it is curled into a fist, they will gently push down on the ball until it is about the size of a small cookie (not too thin!).

4.  Give each student a small amount of water (I usually put a margarine tub with water on each group's table).  They will dip their finger in the water and gently wet the very tiptop of the ball that they have flattened.  They will place a second ball on the wet part, so that they are overlapping slightly, and gently push down with the side of their fist until is is about the size of a small cookie.

5.  Repeat step #4 with the third ball of dough.

6.  Get a large handful of dough and mix in black tempera paint.  

7.  Give each student a marble sized chunk, and have them 
separate it into two balls.

8.  They will wet the tiptop of their snowman's head and place one black ball so that it is slightly overlapping the top of the head.  They will flatten it gently with the side of their fist.  This will become the snowman's hat.

9.  Taking the second ball of black, they will roll it between their palms to make it into a short, fat snake shape.

10.  Using their finger, they will wet where the black ball from step #7 overlaps the snowman's head.  They will lay the snake where the hat overlaps the head, and push it down gently with their finger to create the brim of the snowman's hat.

11.  Get a golf-ball sized chunk of dough and mix in orange tempera paint.  Give each student a small pinch and have them roll it between their palms to make a tiny snake.  They will dip it into the water and stick it in the middle of the snowman's face to create his carrot nose.

Collect all the snowmen and set them aside.  The student part is finished!

12.  You will need to bake the snowman in a 200 degree oven until they are dry (about 4-6 hours).

13.  Take them out and let them cool.  Peel the parchment paper off, and write the student's name on the back using a Sharpie.  On the front, using the Sharpie, add dots for eyes, a mouth, and buttons.

14.  Using a glue gun and paperclips, add a hanger to the back.

15.  Melt wax in a double boiler (you can buy wax in the canning section of your grocery store).  Dip the snowmen quickly into the wax to seal them.  I've never used shellac, but I don't see why you couldn't use it instead of wax.

16.  Add a ribbon around the snowman's neck for a scarf.












It seems like a lot now that I've written it all out, but it really is very easy to do.  And they always come out cute, especially when the kids make them a bit won-kitty!