Christmas is just around the corner and if you're like most people you've already started preparing for the upcoming madness.
You're planning the menu, buying or making gifts, and just hoping you get through the whole event with your hair intact and more than moths in your pocket book. But if you need a little extra help keeping money in your pocket book, Personal Capital has some great financial tools available.
I love handmade gifts and hope every year that this will be the year that I create all of the gifts I give instead of just a handful. I think if this goal was to become a reality, I probably should have started about two years ago.
Nah just kidding! But if you do have that goal in mind, it definitely takes time commitment and planning.
Now wait did I just hear someone say, "I would love to make handmade for my family, but I don't have a creative gene in my body."? :(
No worries. I found something even you can pull off!
I love snowmen! They're not just for Christmas. You can leave them out all winter.
And they are great for people like me that take forever to change out seasonal decorations!
Last year I made soft snowmen that stand about 2 feet tall decked out in sweaters, hats and carrying wreaths. This is a project that requires a little knowledge about sewing, but the trickiest part is getting the stuffing right.
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| Stuffed snowman with lighted wreath |
This year I wanted to find a different snowman so I took to trolling Pinterest for some inspiration.
I came across these adorable fellas...
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| Find them on Pinterest |
These handsome snowmen were created by C& C Furnishings! They have some other really cute stuff as well.
My stab at recreating this look...
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| Sorry. I'm so not a photographer. :( |
What's the monetary damage? Roughly just over $4/each (about $50 for all 12)
What you need:
1. Bowling pin of course. You can get decommissioned pins from your local bowling alley pretty cheap. I paid about a dollar a piece.
2. Spray paint- I like Krylon Maxx in an ivory color and satin finish. It's a little pricey at about $4/can but the coverage is great and you're going to need that to cover the striping on the pin.
3. Acrylic paint in black and orange- here's a little secret I found out the hard way.. the eyebrows are not paint. Draw those babies on with a fine point Sharpie marker. Much, much easier! If you're a crafter, you probably have paint on hand. If not it's about $1 a bottle.
4. Wire ribbon for bow. I found this at JoAnn's SuperStore. It was on sale and I had a coupon so I paid maybe $4 for the spool. Again raid your stash before purchasing new.
5. Greenery- Again mine was a JoAnn's bargain. After sale price plus coupon, I paid about $6. Another take on the greenery if it's available to you, the real stuff. Pine branches, pine cones, etc. Use what's around your home inside and out. You of course won't want to hot glue fresh pine branches to your snowman, but you could wrap it in a circle and use the ribbon to secure the wreath around the snowman's neck. You will just need to make him a new wreath each season.
These snowmen would make a great gift for family, friends, the kiddo's teacher.. You get it!
So my friends who feel that they have no crafting abilities, I want to see pics if you try your hand at this project.
Blessings~ Melanie
