THREE - Snowman Snowflake

Here is the third in a series of five

Quick and Easy Bazaar-Worthy craft tutorials.

(you thought I wasn't going to post today, huh?)

haHA!!!

Some days, I even surprise myself.

Moving On ...

 

Snowman Snowflake

I debated making this a magnet instead

of an ornament;

and I've made enough of them that I

could do both.  My kids are always bringing

home artwork from school that

they like to see posted on the fridge - and what

better way than to post them with

a super fun snowman snowflake magnet!

The Basics:

wood snowflake cutout,

1" wood button plug,

acrylic paint: white, black, sparkle glaze

sanding block for smoothing surfaces

pink powder blush and cotton swab or sponge dauber,

stylus for dotting eyes and coal mouth

Plaid Slick fabric paint: orange

Crop-o-Dile, hand drill, drill press, or hubby

(to drill the hole if you're making an ornament)

6" length of wire or ribbon for hanging

(you won't need a hole if you're making a magnet)

glue gun and glue sticks

appropriate sized paintbrushes:

sponge roller or 1" wash brush for snowflakes,

1/2" flat brush for snowman heads

Getting Started: 

Once again, my motto is:

Always Paint in Multiples!!!

(if you're even the slightest bit curious

as to why this is my motto, please read the

previous post, where I explain)

Base coat your snowflakes and your button plugs

with two coats of white acrylic paint.

I'm showing a 1/2" flat brush in the photo,

but you could use a sponge roller if you're making

several snowflakes - it'll go much faster.

Don't forget to paint the backs and sides

of your ornaments!  They will look

more "finished" if you do this, and if you're

personalizing these, you'll have a nice smooth surface

for your paint pen or marker.

Which brings me to ... sand the fronts and backs

of the snowflakes to smooth the wood grain that has

been raised by the acrylic paint.

Sand the edges of the snowflakes more heavily.

Brush a coat (or two) of Sparkle Glaze onto

each painted snowflake.  The more coats you apply,

the more shimmery and glittery your snowflake will be.

(I don't add Sparkle Glaze to the backs).

Blush the cheeks with pink powder blush

and a clean cotton swab or sponge dauber.

Use a circular motion to "scrub" each cheek til it

looks flushed and blushed!!

I use a stylus dipped into a small puddle of

black paint to dot the eyes.

Re-dip your stylus before each dot to ensure

same-sized eyes.  Likewise, dotting

twice before reloading with paint will give you one

eye slightly smaller than the other.

Whichever suits you.

For the noses, practice first on a piece of paper

until you're please with your carrot results.

In general, you'll start at the base

(or the largest part of the carrot) and move to

the right, gradually applying less pressure so that you

end with a small "tip"

Try using a tight back-and-forth scribble motion

until you like the way your carrot looks.

Keep in mind, all carrots look different and

very few are just The Perfect Size and Shape,

so you need to be "okay" if they're not perfect.

Trust me, a big orange triangle on a round white face

is most definitely going to look like a carrot.

Dip dot the mouths in the same manner as the eyes.

I start in the middle of the left cheek,

reload my stylus for the first three dots so they

are the same size, then I don't reload before I dot

the last two dots ... therefore

they look smaller as if they're going away from

your point of vision.

Does that even make any sense??

This isn't my sharpest time of the day.

Use the glue gun to apply the snowman face

to the center of the snowflake:

here's a pic of me glue gunning a snowman face

to a completely different project,

but you get the idea:

Press.

Hold.

Stuck.

Instant Gratification.

I love my glue gun.

Punch a hole with your Crop-o-Dile,

or drill a hole with your hand drill, your drill press,

or your hubby's drill press,

and thread a ribbon through and knot the ends.

I added a red bow just because I had

some red bows that hadn't been dedicated to

any specific projects yet.

OR ... you could use your

glue gun to attach a button magnet to the

back of your snowflake for instant

fridge decor.

I'm off to spend the next three hours on the road,

make an appearance at the school fund-raiser

tonight (which hubby will attend without me)

and hopefully I'll find the time to

read my camera manual,

because I am not liking the pics I'm taking.

I'm sure it's the operator -

that chic should really read the manual.

*Peace and Fridge Magnets*