Winter Craft: Sock Snowman

*This craft is suitable for ages 2 and up. Just increase or decrease assistance depending on age.

Materials:

• 1 plain white adult sport sock about 12 inches long
• old newspaper sheets
• piece of white string (about 10 inches long)
• 1 short adult sock of any colour (except white) for hat
• 2 large googly eyes (1/2 inch)
• black felt
• 1 orange foam sheet (or orange felt)
• any colour of felt for scarf
• thin Popsicle sticks (or coffee stir sticks or brown pipe cleaners)
• black Sharpie marker
• scissors

Instructions:

1. Take 1 sheet of newsprint at a time, and scrunch it into a ball. Stuff it into the hole of the sock and push it up all the way to the toe of the sock. Keep doing this until the sock (or at least 12 inches of it) has been filled. Cut off any remaining sock from the bottom. The newspaper should not fall out.
2. Measure 5 inches down from the toe of the sock. Tie the white piece of string tightly around the sock to make a distinguishable head and body.
3. Cut out a scarf for the snowman using the felt. Make it about an inch high and at least 18 inches long. (I glued two pieces together to get the right length.) Cut 3 little slits on each end of the scarf (just to make it fancy). Tie the scarf around the snowman's neck. Make sure the top of the scarf just covers the white string (so you will have enough room to make the face).
4. Pull the black sock over the snowman's head, so that it covers 2 and 1/2 inches from the top. You can fold the sock up and under if needed.
5. Place two dabs of glue just under the hat, and press the googly eyes on. 
6. With the Sharpie marker, make a smile for the snowman, just above the white string, by making 6 dots in an upward semi-circle. (I did hand-over-hand with the 3-year-olds.)
7. Cut out a triangle from the orange foam that is 1/2 an inch wide and 1 inch long. Take off the sticker backing and place it between the eyes and the mouth. (You can also glue a triangle of orange felt, the same size.)
8. Cut out 3 black felt circles that are about 1 and 1/4 inch wide (diameter). Glue them vertically under the white string to represent buttons. 
9. Break a thin Popsicle stick into 2 pieces that are 3 and 1/2 inches long. (Or, make two pipe cleaners of the same length.)
10. Using your scissors, cut 2 slits on each side of the snowman, about 1 inch below the white string. Put one stick in each of the holes to represent arms. (This is a little tricky, and could take some fiddling. Perhaps pipe cleaners are a better idea! In this case, you would not need to cut with scissors at all.)
11. Display your snowman on a shelf, or hang him from his hat!