How to Make a Snowman

Rolling up a Snowman

Pack a snowball with your hands for the bottom section. Scoop up a handful of snow with both hands. Pack it together into a round shape. Add snow to the ball in your hands until it is about 1 foot (30 cm) in diameter, or until it gets too heavy. Make sure you are wearing warm waterproof gloves or else your hands will start to hurt from handling the snow.

Roll the ball along the ground to make the bottom section. Set the snowball on the ground and begin rolling it forward. As you roll, avoid making a cylinder by changing the direction you’re rolling the ball. Keep rolling until the ball is about 3 feet (90 cm) wide. Stop rolling the snowball in the spot where you want the snowman to be. Make sure you start somewhere near that spot, and roll the ball so that you end up there. It often works well to roll the ball in a large spiral, but take note that this will leave an obvious pattern in the snow. Pat your snowball together every so often to keep excess snow from falling off.

Form the middle section. Scoop up some snow in both hands and pack it into a tight ball. Add more snow until the ball is too heavy to carry. Put it on the ground and roll it around as you did for the bottom section. This time, stop when the ball reaches about 2 feet (61 cm) in diameter. Roll the snowball in a circle around the bottom section, or in a straight line away from it and back to it. This way when you finish the ball you won’t have to carry it a long way to the bottom section.

Lift the middle section onto the bottom section. Depending on how big you are, have someone help you lift the large ball. Bend your knees and be sure to stand up with your legs rather than your back. Pick it up and gently set it on the bottom section. Make sure that it sits right in the center of the bottom ball. It helps if you flatten the top side of the bottom ball and flatten the bottom side of the middle ball. This helps the middle section sit firmly on the bottom section.

Make a snowball for the head. Scoop up one last ball of snow for the head. Pack it with your hands until it is about 1 foot (30 cm) in diameter. You should be able to make the head without rolling it, but it’s okay to roll it if you want to. When you finish, carefully place it on top of the snowman’s body.

Pack some snow between the sections. Once the three sections are in place, scoop up more snow and pack it between each section. This will give the snowman a uniform look from top to bottom, rather than looking like three snowballs piled on top of each other.

Decorating Your Snowman

Stick a carrot in the middle of the head for a nose. Grab a long raw carrot and place it in the middle of the top snowball. Make sure you place it so there is room above it for eyes and below it for a mouth. Making the snowman your own is all about creativity. If you have something else that you think would look cool as a nose, use that instead.

Use buttons, pebbles, or charcoal for eyes. Place them above the carrot and space them evenly to the right and the left. Push them into the head, and twist them in a circle so that they stick in the snow. Any round object will work for the eyes. Other options to use for eyes are yellow ping-pong balls, blue rubber bouncy balls, or large green plastic gems.

Make a mouth with a row of pebbles or charcoal. Use the same thing you used for the eyes to make the mouth, or mix it up with other round objects. Place the mouth under the nose, but not too close to the middle section. Cut a mouth out of felt, stick some fake plastic teeth in the face, or bend a piece of rubber tubing into a smile.

Add two sticks for the snowman’s arms. Find a couple of sticks that are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) or less wide and around 3 feet (90 cm) long. Push the sticks into the middle section of the snowman. Position the sticks so they are angled up or down, giving the snowman the look you like best. Before the arms, if you want, put a shirt or coat of some kind around the body of the snowman. Also use old broom sticks, golf clubs, or fake skeleton arms!

Top off the snowman with a hat and scarf. This is where you have even more space for creativity. Grab an old ball cap, cowboy hat, fedora, or top hat for the snowman’s head. Wrap a colorful scarf around its neck. Use old stuff that you don’t mind possibly ruining. Add a tie, sunglasses, or any other accessories to make the snowman stand out from the rest.