Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits

Teaching with Heart and Creativity

Sock Snowman Gift and Merry Christmas Splat the Cat!

Today we made one of our parent gifts—the sock snowman!  My class totally thought I was running a build a bear factory right in our room!

 Here’s your shopping list for your sock snowman-I get everything at walmart in one trip-

1 bag (10 pairs) of plain white tube socks.  (in men’s size) makes 20 snowmen
5 pound bag of rice.  I used 3 lbs today and wished I had more
1 large bag of batting or white filling for the stuffing (craft sewing section)
If you want them stuffed more than mine you may want 2 bags. (it’s cheap!)
assorted colors of buttons
assorted colors of felt cut in strips for scarf
pom poms
googly eyes
 1 orange felt sheet cut in small carrot (triangle) shape for nose
rubberbands -2 per sock 
jingle bell for neck (optional)
Here’s the step by step
(Two students work as a team)
Station 1 Students put 2 dixie cups full of rice in the bottom of their sock. It gives it stability and weight for sitting up.  I love feeling the rice on the bottom for some reason!!!
Station 2 fill your sock up with batting.  half to 2/3rds full…It’s always different student to student.  I sometimes tell them to keep going or to take a little out but usually they stop in about the right spot.  
 Bling it up station
They pick their scarf, pom poms,  & 3 buttons , eyes, nose and bell.  It all goes on a little plate with their name so if you get backed up you can just stack the plates and call them over when it is their turn.  
(no picture-but everything set out for them to choose from)
Rubberband your snowman where the scarf will go and at the top of the snowman’s batting to make a head.  
Roll down the sock to make a  mock beanie on your sock snowman’s head.

tie on the student’s scarf
Glue gun the pieces on while the student ooohs and aaaahs at their new best friend at Christmas!  They always have someone in mind that they can’t wait to give it to.  
While we had our snowman factory we also made splat the cat!  It kept everyone so happy and so busy!    
We read Merry Christmas Splat the Cat.  We LOVED the part where his little sister looks at him sarcastically and says REALLY??????  I think they may have heard that from me before…just maybe.  We died laughing.   Ok I died laughing.  Then they did too.
I modeled how to trace and assemble Splat from all the templates and then I set them free to work and they were so into it!
Because they were so big we set them out in the hall under our bulletin board.  We got LOADS of compliments from the passersby!!!  It became our little thrill of the day.  A few teachers begged for the templates because their classes went nuts when they saw Splat.  Two classes are making him tomorrow!  That’s exciting!
If you want Splat and a few other of my December projects click here to get it at TPT.
And as one of my students said today….This is just so darn cute Mrs. Tunstall….
I wish every week could be full of art and Christmas cheer!!!!
Jenn at Finally in First and Jessica at My World Made by Hand are both having Christmas Gift Linky Parties and I am linking up to share ideas and hopefully get a couple more for next year!  See you there!!!
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    Comments

    4. I love everything about this post!!!! The sock snowmen are warming my heart!!! I juuuuust might have to do them during our stupid 2 1/2 day week next week!! Also I bought Merry Christmas Splat the Cat for one of my students… but it's in Spanish, so it's Feliz Navidad, Splat!

      Marvelous Multiagers!

      Reply

    6. Very neat snowmen. I remember making a similar one in girl scouts when I was little. We used a roll of toilet paper for the base (bottom) and a styrofoam ball for the head inside the sock.

      I'm sure the kids loved them!

      Reply

    13. I love these snowmen! I teach in Austin, so my kids never get to see real snow. (It's early January and 75 degrees outside as I type this comment.) We are making these next week and then writing "how to" stories to go with the snowmen. What did you use to make the snowman mouth? Is it fabric paint or marker? Thanks for the great idea and thanks for being so generous.

      Reply

    14. Reagan… your Splat is so adorable!!! We are going to have to try him out. I am so TIRED of going to Walmart, however, I must make another trip because your snowmen are darling and would be so cute with Snowmen at Night. Thanks for sharing your creative talents!!
      Lory
      Lory's Page

      Reply

    16. As someone else mentioned, I was wondering what you used for the mouth… Sharpie or a fabric pen? We started making them today and they're so fun to make and simply adorable! I also purchased your Christmas crafts from TpT and can't wait to make the tree and Slat the Cat! Thank you!!! ~Karen-Maria

      Reply

    17. I love the idea of the sock snowman. Great and easy activity for my 5 year old daughter which she made for her class project. Thanks a bunch for the wonderful idea!!!

      ~Lillian C.

      Reply

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