Snowman Tea Light Ornament

It doesn’t take long for the holiday season to fill up with Christmas decorations, shopping, crafts, and Christmas parties. Throw in a few homemade Christmas ornaments for kids and you’re officially overwhelmed! That’s why you’re going to love this easy peasy, fun Snowman Tea Light Ornament.

Easy Christmas ornaments for kids provide the perfect holiday gift for family and loved ones. They are sure to reappear on the Christmas tree year after year. The Snowman Tea Light Ornament craft is adorable and durable, unlike those candy canes. It comes together nicely with a plastic tea light, ribbon, holiday colored pipe cleaners, and a few other craft supplies.

What are the benefits of crafting?

Christmas ornament crafts for kids have been around forever. You likely remember making some of them yourself (think Styrofoam balls, pins and sequins or perhaps salt dough)!

Crafting with preschoolers provides more value than meets the eye. Young children gain fine motor skills, creativity, confidence, and spatial awareness. Whether you’re creating easy snowman crafts for kids or springtime flowers, young learners reap the benefits.

Increased Social Engagement

Let’s face it, preschoolers love to chat! They get especially talkative right before the holiday break. Structured craft time gives kids opportunities to have meaningful conversations. They will be exposed to new vocabulary (attach the cotton balls to the craft sticks, etc.)

They also get practice sharing and waiting their turn.

Boosts Hand-Eye Coordination

Cutting ribbon, gluing and placing tiny sequins on a Christmas tree ornament or other winter craft provides valuable practice in hand-eye coordination and fine motor development.

Improves Brain Function

A designated arts and craft station in your classroom provides regular opportunities for students to improve brain function. Christmas crafts for kids spur thinking, planning, evaluating and following a process. Young minds grow with each crafty experience they have.

How to Make the Snowman Tea Light Ornament

This snowman tea light ornament craft for kids comes together beautifully, even with ribbon remnants or fabric scraps. Many of the supplies featured below are items that can be found around the home.

Provide your preschoolers with a list of supplies along with your craft ideas to give families an opportunity to donate items. All good DIY snowmen crafts for kids can be adapted to suit your purpose or the supplies you have available.

Instructions:

STEP ONE

Gather all supplies to make these tea light ornaments.  Paint the plastic flame of the tea light with orange craft paint using a paintbrush.  Let dry and apply a second coat if necessary.

STEP TWO

To build the snowman’s face, attach two rhinestones for eyes and five rhinestones for mouth.

TIP:  Substitute small wiggle eyes and a mouth drawn on with a permanent marker if rhinestones are not available.

STEP THREE

Select color combinations and patterns to create the snowman’s scarf with ribbon and earmuffs with pom poms and chenille stems.

STEP FOUR

Cut two-inch sections of silver tinsel chenille stem, bend into a “U” shape and glue to sides of tea light with glue gun. Attach pompoms over the ends of the chenille stem and a section of ribbon under the snowman’s “chin.” Tie a five-inch length of ribbon with a knot in the center and glue to the bottom of the tea light.

STEP FIVE

To finish, tie a ten-inch length of silver ribbon into a loop through the chenille stem, using the photo as a guide.

Consider having each student write their name and year on the back of their snowman tea light ornament keepsake.

Ideas for Extending the Tea Light Ornament Craft

A step by step Christmas ornament that kids can make pairs beautifully with writing, talking, or sequencing.

Create picture cards of each step in the process for students to practice putting in order. Use the same cards for students to practice talking about each step.

Create vocabulary word cards to go with the craft: snowman, scarf, eyes, nose, etc.

Make paper plate snowman crafts to compare/contrast the two crafts as well as the process for making them.