DIY Mod Podge Snowman Luminary

I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We are supposed to get our first big snow storm of the season tonight. Up to 16 inches of snow has been predicted, so I decided to make a snowman. Luckily, this snowman does not require you to go out in the cold!

You probably have everything needed to make this snowman luminary right at your home, so you can make this for free! This is also a great activity for kids of any age.

Needed Materials:
Jar (any size)
School Glue and water or Mod Podge
Paint Brush or Sponge
Tissue Paper
Miscellaneous Craft Supplies

Step 1: Prepare your supplies.

Take your tissue paper and cut or tear it into small pieces. The size and shape do no need to be uniform. If you are making this with a small child, I suggest using bigger pieces so it does not take as long to make.

Mix equal amounts of glue and water to make a Mod Podge mixture. You could also use store bought Mod Podge, but mixing glue and water works just as well. I like mine to be a little more watery, so I add more water than glue to the mixture, but that is just my preference.

Step 2: Paint on the glue/water. Just do a small section at a time.

Step 3: Start randomly placing the tissue paper on the portion of the jar with the mixture on it.

Step 4: Continue to paint small sections with the mixture and putting on the tissue paper. This does not need to be neat. Just place the tissue paper any place in any direction.

Step 5: Once that layer has dried a little bit, add another layer by painting the glue/water mix over the layer you just made and then adding more tissue paper. Continue this process adding more layers of tissue paper.

Step 6: Once you have as many layers as you want, paint the entire jar one last time with the glue/water mix to make sure all the edges of the tissue paper are securely fastened.

Step 7: Allow your jar to dry.

Step 8: Decorate your jar. I used felt to make the snowman face and buttons. I added a sock to the top for a hat. You can use whatever you want to decorate your snowman. 

Some ideas:

Black and orange colored tissue paper for the face

Small buttons for the buttons

Pom poms and a pipe cleaner for ear muffs

Mitten for a hat

Pipe cleaners for arms

Braid some yarn together to make a scarf 

These are cute just like this, but you could also make these into luminaries. Simply place an LED tea light or a small strand of Christmas lights inside the jar.

Not only are these Snowman Luminaries cute decorations, they make good night lights for any of town guests. Also, if your guests need to get up during the night, they can switch on the light inside the jar and use it as a flash light. These would make perfect gifts for kids to make for grandparents or teachers.

Mod Podging a Photo onto Wood

A couple weeks ago, I got a coupon for a free 11" x 14" poster from Walgreens. I've always loved this picture, so I decided to redeem the coupon for this photo.

I had planned on getting a frame for the picture, but then I decided that I would use some of the scrap wood that I have in my basement. I mod podged the poster onto a piece of plywood and I'm really happy how it turned out. Here are the steps I took, so you can make one of your own.

Needed materials:

Photograph - I used 11" x 14", but any size can be used.

Piece of wood - I used 14" x 17", but any size can be used.

Stain or Paint

Mod Podge (or make your own with craft glue and water)

Foam Brush

Very Fine Grit Sandpaper (optional)

Step 1: Cut the wood down to size. I decided to have a 1 1/2" border around my picture. You can use whatever size you want.

Step 2: Stain or paint your wood. I used some Minwax Dark Walnut stain that I had leftover. Since I wanted a 1 1/2" border, I did not bother staining the middle. If you want a more rustic look, you may want to use sand paper to roughen up the edges at this step.

Step 3: Mark the location of your picture. I made a border of 1 1/2", but you can make your border any size.

Step 4: Using a foam brush, spread the Mod Podge on the back of the picture. If you do not have Mod Podge, just mix equal parts craft glue and water. It works just as well as the real stuff.

Step 5: Place the picture on the board.

Step 6: Seal the edges of the photo with the Mod Podge.

Step 7: Brush a thin layer of the Mod Podge across the entire board and picture. Keep your brush strokes in one direction. Don't worry, it is supposed to look like this.

Step 8: Let the Mod Podge dry and then apply more layers. I applied 4 layers to make sure it was completely sealed and protected, but the number of layers you apply is up to you.

Step 9: If the Mod Podge is more textured than you like, you can wet sand it with a very fine grit paper. I like the more textured look, so I did not sand mine.

Step 10: Attach any picture hanging hardware. I have not decided where I am going to put my picture, so I'm not going to put any picture hangers on it right now. But, you could put it on a shelf, lean it against the wall, put eye hooks into the top and hang it with a ribbon or string, or attach sawtooth hangers to the back.

Step 11: Display your picture.