Winter Crafts: Clay Snowman

This is one of my absolute favorite winter crafts to make. It's simple enough that a child can make it, but with a few tweaks can be a craft nice enough to gift as gifts. A large version makes a whimsical paperweight for the snowman lover.

Materials:
For a paperweight size, or for making multiple pieces, you will need a 1.75 lb box of white polymer clay and acrylic sealer or other polymer clay glaze. You can buy individual 2 oz. packages of colored clay in black, orange, red or blue, or acrylic paint in those colors. You need a mat, roller and some cutting tools, or you can improvise with whatever you have on hand.

Body:

Step 1 Cut off a 1 ½ in. cu. block of white clay. Squeeze this in your hands until it warms and becomes smoother. Place it on the mat and beginning rolling it with the palm of your hand in a circular motion, until you have a nice symmetrical sphere. Gently slice the rounded tip off the left and right sides of the sphere, using a rolling motion to avoid flattening the ball. These flat sides will now be the top and bottom of the sphere.

Step 2 Repeat Step 1, this time using a block that is about 1 in. cu. Once you have made the slices, use a cutting tool to gently cross hatch the flat portion on both sides. Press the medium sphere, one flat side down, onto the large ball until it does not immediately come apart when lifted slightly.

Step 3 Repeat Step 2 with a ½ inch block.

Eyes:
Take a piece of clay and roll it to 1/8 inch thickness. Use the opening of a retractable ballpoint like a cookie cutter to cut out 2 "buttons" for eyes. Use the drawing point, if desired, to poke out button holes. Gently place these near the top of the smallest ball with a pin. To make them stick better, poke in the pin several times, and then smooth a tiny bit of the clay over the holes you made.

Nose:
Take small bit of clay and roll it into a rope on the mat, using your finger tips. When the rope is about ¼ inch thick, continue rolling on only one side, so that it tapers and makes a "carrot". Use the ballpoint to poke a hole in the middle of the face, large enough for the big end of the cone, and place the carrot in it.

Scarf:
Roll a piece of clay flat with the roller. It should be about 6 inches long, ¼-½ inches wide, and 1/8 inch thick. Wrap this around the top and middle balls at the joint, just like you would wrap a scarf on your neck.

Hat:
To make a top hat, roll a ¼ inch block of clay into a cylinder and gently press it onto the "head" just as you joined the balls. Roll a second piece of clay flat to 1/8 inch thickness and cut out a circle to create the brim. Gently place this around the cylinder and press into place with a pin.

Finishing:
Bake according to package directions. If you used all white clay, paint and dry the piece completely. Glaze.