Frosty the Snowman

By: Paula Bales for Styrofoam Brand Foam

Decorate your door with this cheap, yet cute wreath. It'll let your chilly friends know to come out from the cold.

Materials:

STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
- Disc, 7-1/2" x 1-1/4"
- Wreath, 12" x 2-1/4" x 2"
- Balls, 1", 1-1/2", 3", and 4", one each
1/2" flat black buttons, five
Plaid flannel fabric, 24" x 4"
Basswood sign, 12" x 3" x 3/32"
22-gauge wire: uncoated black; plastic-coated yellow
Acrylic paints: black; bright red; Christmas green; night sky; white
Sparkle waterbase varnish
Paintbrushes: 5/8" glaze; Nos. 2 and 10 shader
Serrated knife
Candle stub or paraffin
Scissors
Ruler
Fine-line black permanent marker
Electric drill with 1/16" bit
Wire cutters
Paper towels
Disposable palette
Glues: low-temp glue gun and glue sticks; white craft

Steps:

Set aside 1-1/2" foam ball. Wax serrated knife with a candle stub or paraffin. Use knife to cut 1", 3" and 4" balls in half.
Paint foam shapes as follows: disk (head) and wreath (arms), white; two 1" half balls (eyes), black; two 3" half balls (earmuffs), Christmas green; two 4" half balls (mittens), night sky; and 1-1/2" ball, bright red. Drybrush cheeks on head with bright red (see photo). Allow to dry.
Apply a coat of sparkle varnish to head and arms. Allow to dry.
Using photo as a guide, glue eyes close together to center of head and nose centered just below. Glue five black buttons in a smile, extending from cheek to cheek. Paint a white dot highlight on each eye and let dry. With black marker, draw angled eyebrows and crow's-feet at outer corners of eyes.
Glue green earmuffs centered on opposite sides of head. Cut two 18" lengths of black wire. Loosely twist lengths together and then wrap them around marker to curl. Arrange wire slightly above top of head, gluing and inserting ends beneath foam earmuffs.
Glue head overlapping top of wreath arms and mittens near bottom on opposite sides (see photo). Tie flannel scarf around arms next to head. Glue a 4" length of wire behind upper scarf tail and then shape as desired.
Drill holes in top corners of wood sign approx. 1-1/2" from ends. Paint sign Christmas green and let dry. Freehand paint "Welcome Friends" on sign with white.
Using yellow wire, attach sign hanging from mittens. Insert wires back to front through drill holes and foam and then twist together to secure. Wrap ends around marker to curl.