Asked on Sep 04, 2017

Need Christmas snowman help!

Jewellmartin
by Jewellmartin
I recently noticed that a plastic plant pot looked like a snowman's cap. An orange plastic funnel that I had bought for a bathtub toy for my grands suddenly looked like a snowman's carrot nose. Any fill I use needs to be something like crushed newspapers and weigh very little. Can you help me plan my life sized Christmas Snowman?
  7 answers
  • FL FL on Sep 04, 2017

    Well, I think the lightest suggestion for stuffing Frosty would be Styrofoam packing peanuts or real unsalted, unbuttered popcorn. Not sure if the popcorn will attract critters, but after the season is over, all the popcorn can be used to feed the birds! You can find white trash bags in the store and stuff them and stack them up for a snowman shape. Now if you live somewhere without snow or much rain, you can build the three parts of a snowman using paper mache over balloons of different sizes. Also not heavy and you may have an easier time adding the nose and a pipe, etc with paper mache base rather than a plastic trash bag filled with popcorn or Styrofoam peanuts! On HomeTalk someone recently made statues using chicken wire. Maybe that is more to your liking? Good luck!

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Sep 05, 2017

      These are all good suggestions and I will evaluate them all. I get a lot of air pillows in boxes from things I order. I've been looking for an excuse to buy chicken wire, which would help my snowman have a nice, found shape. Thank you, *FicherLuce. šŸ˜‡

  • Beth Stern Beth Stern on Sep 04, 2017

    White kitchen garbage bags stuffed with newspaper?

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Sep 05, 2017

      *BethStern, thank you. White kitchen bags with newspapers crumpled up would bring volume, flexibility and low weight. I'm definitely using white kitchen size bags for the inner bags because that's about the size I can handle and then use these bags inside some huge whitish trash bags. šŸ˜‡

  • Pgl Pgl on Sep 04, 2017


    If you are placing it outside I would recommend, stuffing it with plastic bags. You could place filler in them then stuff the bags in the snowman. I would use the the leaves you rack up to stuff the bag. If you need more I am positive your neighbors would not care if you took leaves from their leaf piles.

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Sep 04, 2017

      Thanks, Pgl. If I used smaller white plastic bags, maybe I could use loose leaves. The backyard will be full of them. I can't use anything like large bags of leaves because I can't lift them, but I can fill them in place.

      As it happens, I have a few huge bags. I think I can use them in sets, one bag inside the other, and they will look white. I need to figure out how to attach the thorax to the abdomen. And how to make a big round head that I can paint. The snowman will have on gloves and some tool or toy. You helped with the body. Let's see if you or someone else can help with the head. Tag team design!

  • Maureen Maureen on Sep 05, 2017

    If you use thin tree branches for the arms you can get a branch that joins along a little larger branch and cut the larger branch off at the joining area for a bent arm shape then you can use silicone adhesive or maybe even white duck tape to attach near the neck area. Cover up the joining with the scarf your snowman needs and add the mittens onto the end of the branch tips. You also can make it stable with a tree branch stake in the back and tie to it at the different segments of the body. Sounds like good fun, Enjoy! If you don't understand the branch idea, let me know and I'll try to send a picture.

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Sep 05, 2017

      *Maureen, I think I have the idea, but I would love to see a photo for proportion. This guy needs to stand up all of Dec. and Jan. Branches might be the answer of stability. Thank you šŸ˜‡

  • Pgl Pgl on Sep 05, 2017

    I have always placed a ball inside an old pillow case pinned it with straight pins to the body and added an old scarf or tie for the neck. you can paint or use markers for the face. I just glued stones I found around and hot glued them to make my face.

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Sep 05, 2017

      And THIS is why we have Hometalk.com. I never thought about a ball for the head. If my estimates are right, I need a ball the size of a basketball, a white pillowcase with a 4" hole for the orange nose, a pack of safety pins, vinyl facial details, my flowerpot hat and a scarf I don't wear anymore. The thorax and abdomen are two huge kinda clear bags that are filled with white kitchen trash bags filled with (I got several great ideas and I haven't decided yet), on an armature of tree branches, big black buttons made of vinyl. I now have the shopping list, with lots of shopping in my own house and garage. And I wouldn't have thought of half of this if not for Hometalk.com neighbors. šŸ˜‡

  • FL FL on Sep 05, 2017

  • Maureen Maureen on Oct 01, 2017

    I will see what I can do as far as a picture goes. What size are you planning on making this guy? How tall and round. I guess if you give me the size of the bags you'll be using I'd have a better idea how to proceed, tall kitchen size? I'm thinking you might be able to repurpose a plastic pumpkin for the head. Cover in white duct tape and use black duct tape to make the eyes, mouth etc. or paint them on.

    • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Oct 03, 2017

      Thanks, @Maureen. You always have such good ideas. Right after Halloween, I should be able to find plastic pumpkins At half price. If I spray the pumpkin white, I can hot glue the spout to the face. Then maybe black duct tape as you said. Yes, I have tall kitchen bags to with use as the two parts of the torso, or as stuffers for bigger bags. Best wishes šŸ˜‡