Holly Goes Lightly: DIY Snowman Ornament

I've mentioned this before, but for as long as I can remember, I have made Christmas ornaments as gifts every single year. And of course, this year is no different. I've got some snowman ornaments made of clay this year, and you can make your own, too!

You will need:

Sculpey clay (or something similar) in white, silver, black, orange, and one more fun color of your choice
Toothpick or some similar tool
Bobby pin
Screw eye hooks (I was out, so I used some jewelry findings instead)

Now, some key things to keep in mind when you work with this clay: take your rings off and work from lightest to darkest. The dark colors have the tendency to rub off on your hands and then off onto the lighter colors.

First, roll out a piece of white clay into a ball.

Next, make a tear drop shape out of the orange clay for a carrot nose.

Use your bobby pin to dab around a small, circular indent in the middle of your snowman's face. Stick your carrot in and press down gently but firmly.

Now, roll out a silver worm thin enough to be the connector on a pair of earmuffs. Lay it across the top of your snowman's head and gently press down to flatten it slightly.

Next, make your earmuffs! Roll out two small balls and press them to either side of the snowman's head at the end of your silver stripe.

Now add a scarf by rolling out a thick worm and flatten it out. Wrap it around the base of your snowman's head, laying the ends over each other.

Add texture to the earmuffs by using a toothpick and making repeated small jabs.

Add texture to the scarf by drawing your toothpick smoothly around the scarf.

Roll out two small black balls for the eyes. Follow the same process as you did for adding the nose. If you'd like, you can drop two even smaller white balls onto the black spots to add some dimension.

If you'd like, you can throw in a little smile, too.

Now just add in your hardware. If you're using a screw eye hook, which is my preference, simply press it into the top. You can also thread a silver stick up through the bottom of the ornament if you don't have screw eye hooks.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 275 degrees. Let it cool, and then add a loop at the top by using a round nosed pliers if necessary. Then just hang it on your tree and enjoy!