Ages school-age
Recycle an empty cereal box into this adorable snowman. This is a fantastic project for an indoor activity on a wintery afternoon
by Amanda Formaro
What you'll need
- Empty cereal box
- Zipper sandwich bag
- Rice, dry beans, pebbles, pennies, etc (for weight)
- Tape
- Acrylic gesso (recommended: Liquitex Basics Gesso)
- White, black & yellow acrylic paint
- 2 foam cups (coffee size)
- Construction paper: yellow, orange, light blue
- Pink crayon or colored pencil
- Black marker
- Glue stick
- White craft glue
- Scissors
Helpful Tip:
1. Gesso is a craft medium that is available at your local craft store in the art department. Gesso provides a surface that paint adheres well to. 2. Alternatively, children can use a black marker to add eyes and a mouth instead of the paint. 3. Instead of a cereal box you can use a cracker or granola bar box.
How to make it
- Fill sandwich bag with rice, pennies, dry beans, or anything else you like that will give your box some weight. Seal the baggie and place it inside the box. Tape the top of the box closed.
- Paint the entire box with gesso and let dry. Paint entire box with white paint and let dry.
- While box is drying, cut slits in the side of each of the foam cups. Cut the slits to about an inch and a half from the bottom of the cup. Bend each flap to snap off the sides of the cup. Use scissors to trim the rest of the cup evenly.
- Paint the bottom and sides of the cups (ear muffs) with yellow paint and let dry.
- Cut a one inch wide strip of construction paper, the full length of the sheet (about 11"). Center the strip across the top of the cereal box and glue in place. There should be a couple of inches that hang over each side. Glue those down on the sides of the box. This will be your ear muff headband.
- Cut a triangle from orange construction paper for the "carrot nose." Glue the nose to the front of the box.
- Cut three 1-inch wide strips of light blue construction paper. Glue all three together, end to end.
- You should now have one long strip. Use scissors to fringe both ends, this will be your scarf. Glue the scarf around the bottom of the cereal box so that both ends are to the right.
- Dip your finger in black paint and dot on an eye. Move your finger in a circular motion to make the black circle larger. Repeat for other eye and the dotted mouth.
- Use a black marker to add eyebrows and a pink crayon to add cheeks.
- Use white craft glue to attach the yellow cups to the sides of the cereal box, lining up with the ends of the yellow construction paper strip.
