This year theme for my kid’s school Disco was Winter Wonderland and I was extremely happy to help with the decorations. I helped last year as well, but I didn’t get any good picture of it 😦
When I was in primary school back home in Venezuela, we used to make a snowman out of plastic cups every Christmas. Coming from a city known as “The Beloved Land of the Sun”, I think that was the only way to have a snowman for the whole Christmas season. So I felt ecstatic to make one for the school. There couldn’t be a Winter Wonderland without a Snowman.
I tried to find used plastic cups (I was going to fully clean them, of course) so we could have a really eco-friendly snowman, but it was not possible. I contacted people in charge of races because they usually use cups to give water to the racers, and then there are all this cups on the floor, but all of them were giving bottles instead of cups, and even though I couldn’t find the cups I was happy to hear they were making a more eco-friendly choice.
To make the snowman I arrange the cups next to each other until I had a circle and stapled them together, and then I just placed cups on the top staple them all together, making different layers until you have a half sphere.
Then just turn it over and make two or three rows of cups (I made two). One half of the snowman (the top) is DONE!
Make the same again for the lower part of the snowman, but don’t make a full half circle, just three rows of cups on each side.
Join the two parts together with Hot Glue and that’s it, you have a Snowman ready to be dressed!!!.
I also put a battery operated lamp inside it, because it looked cute.
And this is the final product.
The light couldn’t really be appreciated, but it was there 🙂
Everyone liked it and the kids were really happy with him, so MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!
Bye for now!!
COLORCITOS 
could you please send me the pattern for the snowman made with plastic cups
Hi.
Sorry, but what pattern?
Do you know how many cups you actually used? Would Styrofoam cups work as well?
Hi Jessica.
I think I used 160 cups, maybe 200. Sorry, I don’t really remember.
I am not sure Styrofoam cups would work as you need to staple them together. Plastic ones rip a bit when you staple them, so I guess the Styrofoam ones will break even more.
So cute wish I can make one too but I only have the big red plastic cups
Cute I will try to make some with my kids
the red plastice ones would probably make a great Santa Clause, do the same pattern, put a red felt hat on top and a black belt and some sort of beard
That is a great idea. Thanks
Love that idea!!!! So though do both!!! My grandkids will have so much fun!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!
What did you use for the eyes, nose, and mouth? We have to make six of them for our school. How tall was it? How much did the cups cost for one?
Hi
For the eyes and mouth I used some old CLEAN black socks. I just cut some pieces and made them into balls.
For the nose I sew a carrot/triangle shape using some orange fabric scraps and filled it with more fabric scraps cut into tiny pieces.
How tall? I don’t really remember but I think it was about 70cms tall. And I bought packages of 100 plastic cups, costing £1 each, and used about 2 1/2 packages.
Hope this helps 🙂
What size cups did you use?
You can use any size, from little espresso cups to super size plastic cups. It depends how big you want it to be at the end
If I wanted to use as a door decoration could I just make half the circle?
Yes. You can. The only problem is it can be a bit heavy to put on a door. But it is a great idea, I must try it!
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Going to try this with my son’s class!
hi can u please tell me how many cups for each layer I have tried to make it but is not working and does the bottom row have to be flat thank you
Hi Bonnie.
The first row will be the widest part of the sphere. I think the number of cups will depend on the size of the cups (with mine I used around 24 cups). The idea is not to force the cups, the next cups will not really necessarily follow a row.
I hope this helps.
Hi,I have 25 cups made into a circle,do the next row of cups go all the way around ? Then the next row the same etc ? Do I keep going like that until the very last row when your down to your last cup ? Also just wondering when I get it all closed in is that when I turn it over n layer a row on top of where I first started with the 25 cups ?
The next row will go in between the cups. But remember, if you put 25 cups at the top of 25 cups it will never turn into a semi sphere. Don’t force them. Due to their shapes sometimes the space between the cups will not be big enough to fit a cup so just try to put it at the top.
There will be a point when it doesn’t look like rows, so you will just try to fill spaces between cups until it is all filled.
The way I do it just the head would need a semi sphere before turning over to do the other half (which won’t need to be another semisphere). The bottom part (body) needs a flat part to stand and a hole at the top so the head can sit without falling.
Hope this helps
Should I remove a cup so I have 24 ? I haven’t stapled them yet just a bit of tape until I was for sure 🙂
now the cups have to all lay flat right and then you just decease as you go up how many layers before you do the other side thank you
hi still waiting to get my question answered thx
Hi Bonnie.
Maybe my reply to Joanne could answer your question.
I still cant seem to get it to work help me please
How did you get the lamp inside and were you able to turn the lamp on and off. Do you think tea lights would work?
Hi Rachael.
I used a big battery operated touch light. Underneath the snowman is open.
Maybe tea lights are not strong enough to light up the snowman.
But please be sure to use a lamp that will not get hot as it could be very dangerous. And definitely DO NOT use candles.
You can also put clear minature xmas lites poking out at the end of each cup,like the ball lights, all the wires will be on the inside.
Good Job!
[…] snow man was a Christmas tradition for the author of blog Colorcitos as a youth in Venezuela. Her guide to building a snow man with plastic cups is affordable and great fun for […]
snowman needs a hat lol
😜 I know. I ran out of time.
Did you hot glue each cup to each other? Otherwise wouldn’t it fall apart when moved?
I’m sorry, I re-read your instructions and finally saw where you had stapled each cup together. Don’t know how I missed that the first time.
I’m a little confused still after reading your instructions a few times. When you start with the cups, is that essentially the middle row of the top circle? And then to get the bottom circle you just don’t close it off on the top and bottom? Can you explain it better for me please? I really want to do this with my residents at my nursing home this year. And I can’t teach them if I don’t know what I’m doing myself! 🙂
Hi Rachel.
Yes, it is exactly like you said. With both spheres, the first row it is the middle or widest part of it.
Hope this helps.
Why wouldn’t you glue gun the cups?
I’ve never tried, but I think they would melt, and also it is not strong enough to hold them together.
Hope this helps.
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