Primitive Snowman Wooden Spool Holiday Ornament Pattern

As a crafter, I am always looking for unique ways to use up my left-over empty wooden sewing spools and this snowman ornament done in the primitive style is relatively easy to make.

I was able to create my snowman ornament in about an hour and with a few basic crafting supplies that I already had on hand. If you are not into the primitive style of crafting, you can certainly paint him white and not use any crackle medium.

If you are not handy with a drill (needed to affix his nose), you can just paint on a nose with acrylic paint or make one out of orange colored Sculpey Clay.

Primitive Snowman Wooden Spool Holiday Ornament

Supplies Needed For Each One

2" high wooden round sewing spool
1 1/4" high wooden round sewing spool
drill and 1/8" diameter drill bit
round wooden toothpick
acrylic paint - black, off-white and orange
paint brush
crackle medium
all-purpose craft glue or wood glue
scissors
20" long piece of jute
1/4" wide by 12" long piece of red and white checked ribbon

Lay several sheets of newspaper down onto your work surface.

Step 1: Using a drill and a 1/8" diameter drill bit, drill a small hole in the center of your large wooden spool. Paint both of your wooden spools with black acrylic paint. If necessary, apply two coats to completely cover them. Break off a 3/4" long piece from your wooden toothpick and paint with orange paint. Once dry, apply crackle medium on the large wooden spool by following the manufacturer's instructions that are printed on the bottle. Once dry, apply the off-white acrylic paint so that it crackles and the black paint shows through it.

Step 2: Using glue, attach the small spool to the larger spool so that it forms your snowman's hat. Apply a small dab of glue in the drilled hole and stick the broken end of your toothpick inside it for represent a carrot shaped nose. Once dry, fold your jute in half length-wise and thread down through the spool holes. Leaving a 3" long tail, place a knot at the bottom with another knot at the top, right above the hat.

Step 3: Using scissors, cut off a 3" long piece of ribbon and tie a bow around the jute at the top of the hat. Use the remaining ribbon to tie a bow around the bottom of the large spool to represent a scarf.

This pattern and instructions are copyright 2009 by Shelly Hill, All Rights Reserved. Please contact Shelly if you would like to reproduce these instructions on your site.