Do YOU want to build a snowman? Crafty mother reveals how to create your own festive decoration using balloons, fairy lights and a bit of string
- Jennifer Holdsworth-O’Leary created a snowman decoration and shared tips
- The British mother used balloons, string and fairy light for the Christmas trinket
- Facebook users were impressed with the result and vowed to try it out
A crafty mother has revealed how you can put a personal spin on Christmas by making your own snowman decoration.
Jennifer Holdsworth-O’Leary, who lives in the UK, showed how she made the festive trinket using balloons, string and fairy lights, which costs £11.75 in total.
She shared the easy-to-follow guide on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group, where she was widely praised.
Jennifer Holdsworth-O’Leary, who lives in the UK, showed how she made the festive snowman decoration, pictured, using balloons, string and fairy lights. It cost £11.75 in total
The process starts with blowing up two balloons. Make one slightly smaller for the head and one a little larger for the body. Cover the balloons in strings dipped in PVA glue. Pictured, hanging the balloons up to dry for between 24 and 48 hours. Jennifer used a hanger
When the strings were dry enough, Jennifer gently deflated the balloons before getting rid of them completely
Jannifer shared the easy-to-follow guide on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group, where she was widely praised.
One wrote: ‘Brilliant tempted too give it a go myself . Thanks for the detailed instructions.’
Another said: ‘How cute is this? We will have to make it with the kids.’ A third added: ‘Wowwwwwww clever lady well done xxxxx.’
Once the body of the snowman was complete, Jennifer covered it with white spray paint and stuck the two balls together
She used cotton twines and shaped them with aluminium to create the snowman’s nose (left) which she spray painted orange (right) to create the ‘carrot’ effect
Jennifer used buttons for the eyes of the snowman, and added another button on its body. She made a scarf out of tinsel
Here are Jennifer’s step-by-step instructions:
- Cut long strips of cotton twin and dip it into PVA glue that has been slightly watered down.
- Blow up two balloons. Make one slightly smaller for the head and one a little larger for the body.
- Drape the string onto the balloons, wrapping around the surface. Put ‘as much as possible’ on there in order to help keep the shape and make the frame strong.
- Let the balloons dry for 24 hours. You could even leave them for 48 hours. Dry them by clipping the string to a hanger so that it does not touch anything.
- When the strings are fully dry, pop the balloon. Jennifer wrote: ‘I put holes all over and left it and the balloon slowly shrivel up. Remove the balloon.
- For the nose, combine twine with the PVA string to create the shape of a carrot. Leave to dry as before.
- Attach the two balls of string together using a glue gun. Spray them with white paint. Jennifer bought hers from Poundland.
- Use orange spray paint for the nose. Attach the nose to the smaller ‘head’ ball using a glue gun.
- Take three large black buttons and attach these as the eyes and coat button. Use a glue gun to attach.
- Make a hat using cardboard and covering with fuzzy felt. Decorate with black glitter and attach to the ‘head’ with glue.
- Create a mouth using a black pipe cleaner. Jennifer used a £1 pack of 50 from Wilko.
- Wrap tinsel around the neck. Jennifer bought it for £1 from Wilko.
- Place battery-operated fairy lights inside. Jennifer opted for a £3.50 packet from Wilko.
Jennifer decorated the body with some £1 tinsel from Wilko, which she tied between the two spheres
Jennifer popped fairy lights inside the snowman’s head and body to give it a festive twist (pictured)