DIY Sweater Snowmen

Craft a family of adorable snowmen using recycled sweaters and socks! Perfect for gifting and for adding a little cozy to your home at Christmas!

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One of my all-time favorite things to craft with are sweaters. I've created some pretty adorable sweater pumpkins and this year I made some darling sweater stockings, which are such a wonderful way to reuse a sweater and keep it functional, but in an entirely different way!

Who knew that a discarded sweater could be turned into the most charming snowmen! 

Today I'm excited to show you how to make these cheeky little snowmen using items you probably already have on hand!

Each one has its own personality, and they are simply charming in a trio!

Let me show you how easy it is to make them...Bonus, no sewing is involved! 

Supplies for Sweater Snowmen

• sleeves from sweaters (Goodwill sweaters are perfect for this; just make sure the weave is tight)
• sock (not pictured)
• rice
• rubber bands
• twine or ribbon
• black and orange acrylic paint
• wood skewers
• buttons
• hot glue gun (not pictured)
• various embellishments to add personality (like mini crocheted flowers)
• blush (if desired)

How to Make Sweater Snowmen

Start by cutting the sleeves off your sweater (it goes without saying that you've washed and dried the sweater first!) 

Turn sleeve inside out and using a rubber band, wrap it around as many times as possible to keep it shut

Turn right side out and fill with rice. You will use a LOT of rice for one snowman, anywhere from 3-6 cups depending on the stretch of your sweater! So don't use that specialty wild rice you've been hoarding!

Using another rubber band, tie the top shut, snug down around the top of the rice.

Tip: if your sleeve has a heavy or thick cuff, you'll want to cut that off first to reduce the bulk

And just like that you've got the beginnings of a snowman!

Cut the cuff off a sock that coordinates. This will become the snowman's hat. 

Trim the excess sweater off the snowman's head and hot glue the sock around the snowman's head, cuff-side down. 

Make the shape of the snowman by tying ribbon or twine about 1/3 of the way down to distinguish the head and the body. Unless you do a really tall snowman, I would not advise 3 sections because it may not stand up properly. Two will do!

Using ribbon, twine or cording, tie the end of the hat tight and snip off excess sock. Add a crocheted flower or other embellishment to the hat. Hot glue buttons to the front of the snowman's tummy. 

This is what your snowman should look like now. It's time to add the face and see what kind of personality emerges!

Paint the tip of a wooden skewer with orange paint and once dry, cut it at an angle and glue to the snowman's face.

The eyes are made from small dots of black acrylic paint. Dot them onto waxed paper, let them dry, pick two that match and glue them on (tip: add a dab of hot glue to the snowman's face and then apply the eye rather than adding glue to the eye!)

How you glue the nose and eyes onto your snowman goes a long way towards adding personality. The nose can be glued on slightly sideways, or straight on. The eyes can be close together, further apart, or even offset. Have fun adding your own touch to your creations!

This one looks slightly perplexed! If you'd like you can also dab on a bit of blush onto his cheeks because, brrr...it's cold outside! (I didn't add blush to this snowman).

I hope you try this quick craft! Once you get started, you won't be able to stop making these adorable sweater snowmen! This one is going to my niece for Christmas.

FAQs for Making a Sweater Snowman

Is there a specific type of sweater I should use?

You want to use a sweater that has a tight weave so that the rice doesn't fall out! You could also use a white cotton t-shirt!

Won't the rice attract pests?

I have lived in both Florida and Texas, both hot and humid climates and I haven't had a problem. I wrap the snowmen in a zipper bag and store in a sealed plastic bin in my attic.

Do the snowmen need any kind of anchor so they don't fall over?

No, that's the beauty of using rice! You could also use small beans like lentils (that's what I use in my sweater pumpkins). You can squish and mold them into the shape you want and they'll stay put!

If you have any questions that you don't see addressed here, please feel free to reach out via email or leave a comment below!


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This blog's content is for entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice. By reading this blog and attempting to recreate any content shared on it, you assume all responsibility for any injuries or damages incurred. Read my full disclaimer here.