Shabby Snowman Family

With Christmas fast approaching, I have just a couple more gifts to complete. One crafty gift that I have been wanting to try since I saw it at a wee Meenit is cute little snowmen made out of chenille. Since I found a chenille bedspread at a yard sale last summer, I had plenty of fabric to work with. Here's my version(s) of these cute little guys.

This was a fun and easy craft, and it was exciting to see what each snowman's personality would turn out to be. They kind of took on a life of their own once I added the stuffing!

The basic body is just a tube of chenille fabric with a rounded top. Once I had the tube sewn together, I held it upright on top of another scrap of chenille, cut a square that was roughly the same diameter as the snowman's bottom, and then folded it in quarters and trimmed the edges to make a circle. (I know this sounds confusing, and I'm sorry there are no pictures, but really you just need a circle that is about the same size as the round opening on the bottom.) I then attached 1/2 of the circle to the bottom of my snowman with my sewing machine, leaving a large enough opening to add the stuffing (I used plastic grocery bags) and ballast.

For the ballast, I used rocks on the larger snowmen, and dried beans for the smaller ones.

I encased them in a plastic bag to contain them, and keep any dirt safely away from the snowman.

Then I covered the bag with a scrap of white fabric to keep it from showing through the chenille.

Since this is going to be inside the snowman, neatness does not matter. Just do it quick and dirty!

Stuff your little pouch into Frosty's bum, and arrange your stuffing around it so he stands straight(ish) (a little listing to the side actually adds character to your little guy).

Close up the hole, being sure to stay away from the fabric edge so it won't unravel and pull apart down the road. I actually stood the snowmen up at this point so that I could make final adjustments to how he ended up standing as I sewed him together. With some of them I ended up taking in quite a bit of fabric on one side or the other to keep them from falling over.

Since I used chenille, I was not too careful about neatness at this point either because it will not show in the end. If you choose to use a different, less "messy" fabric, you will need to be more careful to be sure your bottom seam is neat and even.

Now comes the fun part! Adding faces and accessories! I used only scraps, buttons and things I had on hand to keep this craft cheap economical.

This was my first little guy. His buttons and accessories are actually sewn on. Then I looked at how much time I was taking, and broke out the hot glue gun for the other 5 snowmen!! The hat is simply a tube of fabric from an old felt scarf, tied off at the top with a scrap of the same fabric. The scarf is a strip from the end of the same felt scarf.

The plan was to have all of the snowmen dressed the same, but with different colored hats and scarves. However, this guy insisted on being Gandalf, and I just couldn't argue with him. It was meant to be!

Having already veered from my original plan, I figured, "what the heck" and got into the fringe from the edge of my chenille bedspread to add hair to this snowman. I know, I know, snowmen don't have hair, but ... well, deal with it! He was screaming to be a beatnik, and I answered the call. I simply put two strips of fringe back to back between the fabric as I sewed it together. I can just hear him reading eclectic poetry to other beatniks in some smoke filled room.

The other three snowmen were more obedient, and stayed on track as I made them. Well, except for the tallest one, who insists on wearing his hat half cocked on his head. My dad always wore his hat like that, so I didn't fight it! It was kind of a warm fuzzy for me!

These snowmen will be given to very dear friends in just a couple days. That is why there are six of them, one for each member of the family. As far as which one belongs to who, they will have to figure that out for themselves!

Have a VERY Merry Christmas!! May the joy of the season fill your homes with love and laughter!

Tina

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 Isaiah 9:6