This DIY wine cork snowman makes a perfect addition to your Christmas or winter decor! Save your corks to make this unique project.
Skills Required: None. Perfect for those who have never crafted before. You’ll be painting and hot gluing primarily. The had takes a little finagling, but I think you’ll easily be able to follow what I did.
I’ve been on a wine cork crafts kick lately! Laugh if you must (and I don’t blame you), but I like the crafts a lot more than I like the fermented grape juice. I may have had a few too many good times in my 20s with wine, so I really don’t drink it anymore. BUT – I still love working with the corks in projects.
It started when I made the wine cork reindeer with my niece and shared that tutorial . . . plus I had done a wine cork wreath before (that I still love!). I had a huge bag of wine corks I bought from Amazon, and there were a bunch leftover. That’s when I decided it was time to make a wine cork snowman.
This project is a great craft for adults, but you can also do this for a kids Christmas craft. You can tell your children you have a lot of corks in your collection due to them ;).
Wine Cork Snowman Craft
There are a variety of ways you can approach this project. You can make an entire snowman (including the body) out of wine corks. You can make a small or large version if you make a snowman with two or three segments.
You can also use ONE wine cork, standing it up on the small end. Paint it like a snowman, and then screw an eye hook in the top and hang as an ornament with baker’s twine.
My favorite way to make a wine cork snowman is just the head, with the corks stacked up so that you can place it into a winter tablescape or on a mantel. What can I say – I like my Frosty to be a little more substantial!
This cork snowman can be completed in four easy steps. You’re going to glue the corks together, paint the corks, add the face, then make and add the hat.
How do I clean wine corks?
You have a few options. You can simply rinse them off. You can also bathe them in a solution of hot water and a splash of hydrogen peroxide overnight to sanitize and bleach them a little bit. You might not lose the wine staining completely, but the wine corks will be completely clean.
Do I have to use hot glue?
Many of you have young kids, and hot glue guns can cause burns. You can use a low temp glue gun that won’t get quite as hot if you’re teaching your children “craft safety.” Also AdTech makes an ultra low temp glue gun that is great for kids. Check it out. Obviously all glue guns require parental supervision based on packaging age requirements.
If you don’t use hot glue, you can still do this project with craft glue, but you’ll have to hold (or painter’s tape) the corks together for several minutes until the glue sets. The project will take a lot longer, but it can be done.
Gather These Supplies
- Wine corks – 38 to 40
- Acrylic paint – white
- Orange felt or foam
- Black felt or foam
- Black buttons – 2
- Red ribbon – about 1
- Black Sharpie or pen – fine tip
- Scissors
- Paintbrush
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Notes about this project: the foam and the felt are interchangeable. I happened to have black felt and orange craft foam on hand, but you could use either for both the mouth and nose. You could also just use cardstock. Work with what you have in your stash!
Also the finished size of this project is about 5.5″ square (minus the hat). It’s the perfect size for decorating, but you can make it smaller or larger to fit your space.
Glue the Corks Together
To begin your snowman, you’ll establish a foundation row of wine corks. This requires gluing the corks together by their long ends. Start with four corks, placing a line of hot glue and then pressing the corks together.
Continue gluing corks in rows to make your snowman’s head. The corks might be slightly uneven, but that’s okay. Just do the best you can!
Glue the final wine cork down and let cool for several minutes. I (randomly?) used 37 wine corks in this project due to the size of some of them.
This is how the snowman head is shaping up – you should end up with something like this when you’re done hot gluing.
Paint the Corks
This is the second easiest part of a very easy project, and kids (if helping) are going to love this part. You’re going to choose one side of your wine cork snowman head and paint with white acrylic paint. You might need a few coats of paint; let dry.
This is how it will look after you’re done painting.
Add the Embellishments
The embellishments you’re going to add to the front of the face are the eyes, nose and the mouth. You’ll start with the mouth.
Cut the mouth shape out of black felt with scissors. You can cut them into circles to look like coal, but I chose to do a basic mouth.
Attach to the front of the wine cork base with hot glue.
Cut the nose out of orange foam or felt. Then add lines and accents to the nose to make it look like a carrot, using the Sharpie or pen.
Hot glue the nose down, above the mouth.
To finish the facial features of your wine cork snowman, add black buttons for the eyes with hot glue.
Make the Hat
Like everything else in this project, there are a variety of ways to make Frosty’s hat. Cut a strip that is about 2.5 – 3″ x 7″ or so. Whatever fits your snowman! You’re going to glue the ends of this piece together.
Cut a circle the approximate size of the opening of the loop you just created. Hot glue into one end as shown.
Once, you’re done and it’s cool, flip your felt inside out. This is going to be the top of the hat.
Now you’ll add the brim of the hat. Cut a circle larger than the opening of the top of the hat, then cut an inner circle out of that. Use hot glue to attach the top to the brim.
To finish off the snowman hat, add a piece of red ribbon around the brim. This gives a festive touch and also conceals your hot gluing seam.
Place your hat onto the wine cork snowman in whatever way you like – I chose to give mine a jaunty little tilt!!
Look how happy my snowman friend is! He’s excited to be on my shelf . . . because who wouldn’t be? And the best part about this Frosty is that he’ll never melt. Oh, and I can keep him out past Christmas because he’s technically winter themed. I love that!
Wine Cork Snowman
Materials
- 38 Wine corks 38 to 40
- Acrylic paint white
- 2 sheets Craft foam or felt 1 sheet orange, 1 sheet black
- 2 Buttons black
- 1" Ribbon(s) red
- 1 Sharpie(s) fine tip
Instructions
- Gather approximately 40 wine corks and clean them if necessary Let dry.
- Glue a foundational row of four wine corks with hot glue, then continue stacking and gluing wine corks until you’ve made the entire head.
- Paint one side of the cork head with white acrylic paint, let dry.
- Cut a mouth out of black felt or craft foam and glue to the front of the face.
- Cut a nose out of orange felt or craft foam and draw on carrot accents with a fine tip pen. Glue to the front of the face.
- Glue the buttons down to the front of the face to act as eyes.
- Cut a black strip of felt that is approximately 2.5" x 7". Glue together at one end.
- Cut a circle and glue into one end to act as the top of the hat. Flip inside out and this is the top of the hat.
- Cut a brim out of black felt. Cut a circle into the center and then glue the brim to the top of the hat.
- Glue a red ribbon over the seam to act as a hatband. Attach to the cork snowman to finish.
Video
Did you make a snowman of your very own? I’d love for you to let me know in the comments! I’d also love for you to visit these other cute projects: