Frosty Family Upcycle!

I knew I wanted to do something special for an upcoming White Elephant gift-exchange, but I  was running low on inspiration.  I browsed Marshall's, Wal-Mart, Target, Hobby Lobby. Nothing. Luckily there is a Salvation Army Family Store on my way home from the closest Hobby Lobby, and naturally I stopped in.  Thrifting is one of my favorite hobbies.  There, I picked up three glass vases in varying sizes.

Snowmen!

(Yes! I seriously made these)

I had seen a neat concept of using white string-lights to illuminate glasses adorned with a simple snowman face & buttons, and I really liked the concept! (Yes, discovered via Pinterest)

But let's be honest... "glass drill bit." Yeah right.

Thank goodness for Google image search! After several combinations of "glass" "jar" & "snowman," I kept noticing similar images attributing the frosty appearance to... Epsom salt?  

(My favorite being this monogrammed Epsom salt frosty glass)

Seems weird, but simple enough to give it a try. 

Here's what' you'll need:

Glass Jar(s)

Acrylic paints or stickers

Elmer's Glue All or ModPodge

Epsom Salt

White glitter

Clear-glaze spray paint

Fabric scraps

Candle(s)

Supplies (and Todd the cat keeping an eye on things)

Try it!

First, I cleaned the glass with dish soap and dried with a towel.

Then To make the snow-people...

I applied a thin strip of adhesive-backed craft foam to serve as a slightly raised brim for Mr. Frosty's hat, and marked the middle of my vases with regular hair-ties to gauge where the features should go.

Various acrylic paints to draw on the faces and buttons

And it wasn't long before they looked something like this.  

(All while watching a re-run of Ringer.)

and then this

(I decided I didn't like the bow on Mrs. Frosty so I wiped it off and painted on a poinsettia instead.  I wanted her to look feminine, but still sophisticated. -duh)

Mix up some of the Epsom salt with glitter.

I saw somewhere that you can get the same results as Mod Podge by mixing 1 part glue with 1 part water, so that's what I tried.  

Brush it on the snowmen with a foam brush and dip/sprinkle the salt & glitter.

(Look who it is in the background)

Make a little scarf out of some fabric scraps while your snow men dry.

(I got this red and green sparkly fabric at Hobby Lobby for under 40 cents!)

Apply 2 coats of clear glaze, and hot glue scarves in place.

(I do need a figure out a way to fix Mr. Frosty's forehead.  Stay tuned)

Then it's as simple as lighting the votive candles.  Can we say ambiance?

For my first time making these, I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out.  I'd like to try them again, and I'll probably make the buttons and facial features bigger and more prominent.  Practice makes perfect.  It was also a bit messy to take on in a studio apartment, but overall it was fun and simple.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas, friends. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14