Craft: Light Bulb Snowman Ornament

Last year, the girls in our Brownie troop were planning a Christmas party for our Daisy troop.  We asked the girls to bring game, craft, and snack ideas to the planning meeting.  The girls loved this light bulb snowman ornament, but they voted to make these adorable thumbprint reindeer ornaments instead.  Not more than a month after the Christmas party, my husband changed some of the light bulbs in our house.  I asked him to save them for me, thinking that the troop could certainly put them to good use.

Here we are, almost a year later, planning this year's Christmas party.  I dug those light bulbs out of our craft closet and got to work.  The shape of this light bulb is perfect for a snowman.  

 

Step 1:  Cover the bulb with Mod Podge.  A sponge brush works well.  Do not cover the base or the bottom of the bulb.
Step 2:  Sprinkle with glitter.  Placing the light bulb in a container for this step minimizes waste and allows for easier cleanup.

Step 3:  Allow to dry (only takes a few minutes).  Please note:  I read online that glitter will often peel from glass.  Adding another coat of Mod Podge to the glittered surface was suggested.  I applied the Mod Podge to a section of the back of the snowman.  While the extra adhesive may keep the glitter from eventually peeling off, it seemed to diminish the sparkle.  The glitter on the rest of the snowman seems to be staying in place, for now.  
Step 4:  Using a paintbrush and acrylic paint, apply the eyes, nose, and buttons.

Step 5:  Let the snowman dry completely.
Step 6:  Add a cute scarf.  The pink scarf (left photo) is a piece of fuzzy pink pipe cleaner.  Cut a piece 8" long and twist it around the neck of the light bulb.  The red scarf (right photo) is a piece of felt.  Cut a 0.5" strip along the 12" side of an 9"x12" sheet of felt.  Secure the scarf to the neck of the light bulb.  Cut off the excess felt to achieve the length desired.  Fringe the edges.
Step 7:  Tie a piece of yarn to the base and hang on the tree...or skip the yarn and sit the snowman on a shelf where it can be enjoyed all winter.

I was all set and had all the supplies ready to go...until I sat down to write this post.  I was collecting some information online and found dozens of tutorials and photos posted by others who have successfully made these ornaments.  I found this video demonstration by Clinton Kelly.  After watching the segment, I have decided to follow his lead and slightly modify our steps.  I will have the girls paint the base of the light bulb black.  They will use puffy paint for the face and buttons when they make these ornaments next week. 

It looks like I never posted anything about last year's Christmas party aside from the snacks we served.  Since Christmas is right around the corner, I will be sure to share soon.  We had a REALLY fun time!  Happy Thanksgiving.  Thanks for reading.