{Snowman Nativity}

Hi, y'all!  I hope you are all enjoying the days leading up to Christmas.  I know I am!  I've been relaxing and crafting--two of my favorite things.  Today I have been really lazy, but I thought I should do a little something to feel productive.  So I'm going to share my Snowman Nativity with you.  I've told y'all before that my mom LOVES snowmen, so I thought she needed a snowman nativity.

I started the project by getting out my aluminum foil and glass marbles.

I tore off a square of aluminum foil and put a few marbles in the middle of it.  I figured the marbles would give the foil a bit of weight.

I crumpled the foil into a ball, making sure the marbles stayed in the middle.

I wanted to make a Mary Snowwoman, a Joseph Snowman, and a baby Jesus Snowman.  So I made eight foil balls--three balls for each adult and two for the baby.

I mixed up some Celluclay to cover the balls with.  (Celluclay is paper mache that you don't have to use newspaper with.  I guess you would call it a paper clay.)  Of course, you should follow the directions on the package when using the product, but I seemed to have misplaced mine.  I just mixed water with the "clay" until it was what I thought was probably the correct consistency.  It would have been nice to have the directions, though, because I don't think I ever got the mixture just perfect.

I covered all the aluminum balls with the clay.  It's a bit difficult because you want to cover all sides of the balls.  You have to cover where you've been holding the ball and sometimes then you uncover another spot that was already covered.  You just have to work with it.  

After the balls were covered, I was supposed to just let them dry.  I am too impatient for that, and I found somewhere on the internet that said I could put the clay in the oven if I left the door open.  So, of course, I did that.  After the balls were completely dry, I painted them with white acrylic paint.

Unfortunately, this is where I have to tell you that I didn't take anymore pictures until I was finished.  Sorry.  I can tell you what I did, though.  I used puff paint to paint a face on each snowman.  Then I coated each ball with Mod Podge and shook them in a bag filled with glitter.  I hot glued the bottom ball of Mary and Joseph to a rectangular wooden plaque I had painted white.  Then I hot glued the rest of their bodies on.  I used sticks for arms and scrap fabric and felt for their "headdresses."  I made a manger out of sticks for baby Jesus.  I glued him together and covered him with a felt blanket.  Then I glued the manger to the plaque and Jesus to the manger.  I covered the plaque in Mod Podge and sprinkled glitter over it.  Then my snowman nativity was finished!

Aren't they a cute little family?!

I like Joseph better than Mary because Mary's neck is a bit weird.  The clay ran down while it was drying and made the bottom of the ball flat.  :(  And, of course, baby Jesus is cute!

I'm not sure if a baby snowman actually needs a blanket to keep warm, but I had to stay true to the story...

My mom loves the nativity!  I went to her house last night to make Christmas candy, and she was showing it off.  Of course, that made me feel good! :)  It's amazing what can be done with some aluminum foil and paper clay...