Tea-light Snowmen
About the Activity
Light up a neighbor or friend’s yard with these fun and decorative snowmen tea lights!
This seasonal activity teaches children fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and lets them embrace the holiday spirit of giving.
Materials
Battery-operated tea lights
Black and orange permanent markers
Red ribbon (for hat and scarf)
Black felt
Scissors
Glue gun
Activity Steps
No snow is needed to make these snowmen! Decorate tea lights to add a little light to your home and bring a smile to everyone’s face with these adorable snowmen.
Using your black marker, draw coal eyes and mouth. Using your orange marker, color your tea light’s flame to make the carrot nose.
Did you know?Tea lights were originally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. They served two functions—keeping the tea warm and measuring the passage of time.
Cut your snowman’s top hat out of the black felt. Glue red ribbon on the hat for the band. Glue the hat onto your snowman’s head. Make sure to always ask an adult for help when using the glue gun.
Did you know?Felt can be made from a wide variety of materials, including wool, fur, and synthetic items.
Cut 8 inches of red ribbon for the scarf. Make a loop with the ribbon and glue the front pieces together to hold. Attach to your snowman.
Cut 12 inches of ribbon and tie the ends together. Attach to your snowman and hang up for all to see!
Did you know?Snowmen have entertained people for ages. Even the artist Michelangelo made one!
You can teach your entire family how to make these snowmen! Let everyone personalize their own snowman and then hang them on the tree or around the house as winter decorations! You can also make these to share. You or your class could make tea-light snowmen and give them to elder residents at a nursing or assisted living home. Ask the residents to share their memories of building a snowman with you.
And if you’ve enjoyed this activity so far, check out our FREE DOWNLOADABLE ACTIVITY GUIDE with more fun holiday activities to try!
Test Your Knowledge
Reflection Questions
For this activity, you used brand new materials to create your snowman tea light. Do you have any materials around your home that you could upcycle to create a snowman? Do you think it makes a difference if the snowman is made of upcycled or brand new materials?
What else could you decorate a tea light to look like?
What other things could you turn into a snowman?
Investigate and Explore
Did you enjoy this activity? Why not make more snowmen! Explore using different colors and materials to create unique snowmen. Remember to always ask an adult for help when using a glue gun.
Career Connections
Felt is part of a larger art genre called fiber art or textile art. Although fiber art can be created to be viewed like other forms of art, it can also be used to create functional items, including items for the home, clothing, and medical equipment. If you are interested in learning more about careers in fiber art, reach out to a Textile Designer or Textile Scientist. In the meantime, explore all the ways in which you can use different fibers to create art and more!
