This project turns yesterday’s kitchen scraps into today’s Christmas magic.
With old tin can lids as your canvas, you’ll craft smiling snowmen, each topped with cozy hats cut from worn-out sweaters.
Add carrot noses, painted cheeks, and twine bows, suddenly you’ve created an entire snowman family, each one as unique as the person who made it.
It’s recycling that doesn’t just save waste; it makes memories.
Materials Needed
- 10-12 clean tin can lids (approx. 3” diameter, sand edges for safety)
- Acrylic paints (white, black, orange, red, pink for cheeks)
- Paintbrushes (1 fine tip, 1 medium flat)
- Old sweater sleeves or socks for hats (cut into 3”-4” sections)
- Scrap fabric or ribbon for bows (12” pieces, plaid or holiday prints work best)
- Small jingle bells (1 per snowman)
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Jute twine (6” pieces for hanging loops)
- Sandpaper
- Optional: blush or pastel chalk
Step-by-step Guide
Step 1: Clean and dry the tin can lids thoroughly. Then use sandpaper to smooth out sharp edges to make them safe to handle.
Step 2: Paint the front of each lid with a creamy off-white acrylic base to mimic a snowy face. Let it dry completely.
Step 3: Add details: paint small black dots for eyes and a smile.
With orange paint, create a carrot nose in the center. For extra charm, dab a touch of pink or red on the cheeks to give them a frosted glow.
Step 4: Cut sweater sleeves or old socks into 3–4” sections. Fold over one end to look like a brim and glue it to the top of the lid, forming a snug little winter hat.
Step 5: Tie a piece of twine or string around the hat, about an inch from the top, to gather it like a beanie. Let the loose end stick up like a pom-pom.
Step 6: Cut 12” strips of ribbon or fabric to tie little bows under the snowman’s face. You add a jingle bell in the center with hot glue for a festive touch.
Step 7: Flip the ornament over and hot-glue a 6” piece of jute twine as the hanging loop. Make sure it’s centered for balance.
Step 8: Repeat with different hat fabrics and bow styles so each snowman has its own unique look.
Step 9: Hang them on your tree, gift them as stocking stuffers, or tie them onto presents as an extra handmade touch.
Tip:
If you want extra texture, lightly dry-brush the edges of the lids with a bit of brown paint to give your snowmen a vintage, farmhouse feel.