Home Depot DIH Workshop Party: Seasonal Character

Thanks to Home Depot for sponsoring today’s post and party! All opinions are, as always, honestly my own. #DIHWorkshop #sponsored

Seasonal Character DIH Project

Believe it or not, October is more than half over already, which means the holidays are right around the corner! It’s a great time to start making some seasonal decor projects so they’re ready to go when you need them. This Thursday, October 20, you have an opportunity to learn how to make an adorable Seasonal Character Door Hanger at your local Home Depot! The workshop is free, and will be held at stores all over the country, all you have to do is register online, then show up ready to learn!

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The Home Depot offers three types of Workshops at all of their locations for DIY-ers of all ages and experience levels: Do-It-Yourself (DIY), Do-It-Herself (DIH), and Kids. You can learn how to build décor projects, how to make easy home repairs, and how to operate tools through demonstrations and step-by-step instructions. Sign up today to join a local workshop and learn to use a jigsaw, nailer and other carpenter’s tools to cut and craft this seasonal project. Once you build it, you can paint it to become a Santa, a scarecrow, a snowman, or any other character you like!

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Today, I wanted to give you a sneak peek of how my snowman turned out and how easy he is to create!

Snowman Yard Decor

You’ll notice that I put a slightly different spin on my project than the original inspiration. My screen door is solid white at the bottom, which meant that if I tried to use this guy as a door hanger, you wouldn’t be able to see the bottom half. So, I decided to turn him into a yard decoration instead…and a functional one, too! He’s going to measure how much snow we get this winter!

The basic steps for constructing him were the same, and so were the materials. All of these are available at your local Home Depot. The cost of the materials is about $21, not including tools, so he’s a great bargain too.

Materials:

  • 1 – 1″x 6″x 8′ Tongue and Groove Pattern Stock Board
  • 1 – 1″x 4″x 8′ Common or Pine Board
  • 1 box #8 1 1/4″ Phillips Square Drive Flat-Head Full Thread Zinc Coated Multi-Material Screws
  • 1 pack #8 1 5/8″ Zinc-Plated Steel Eye Screw {I didn’t use these, but you’ll need them for a door hanger}
  • Manila Rope or other hanging material {for door hanger}
  • Carpenter’s Wood Glue

For my project, I also used:

  • RYOBI ONE+ 18V Jigsaw
  • RYOBI ONE+ 18V Lithium-Ion Starter Drill Kit
  • FolkArt Multi-Surface Paints: Titanium, Pure Orange, Baby Pink, Licorice
  • FolkArt Extreme Glitter Paint: Hologram
  • Black Permanent Marker
  • Measuring Tape
  • Pencil
  • Paintbrushes, including Shortie Brush for texture
  • Clear spray sealer, matte

Assembling Your Character:

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To assemble the character head, you’ll cut the Tongue and Groove Pattern Stock Board into three 36″ pieces and the Pine Board into two 24″ pieces with a scrap piece left over. You can totally do this part yourself with a Jigsaw, or you can ask a helpful associate to do some of the cutting for you in the store, like I did.

That makes it way easier to transport the pieces home, and it also helps get the job done if you don’t happen to own a saw. Not to mention, it gives you time to look around at the other materials and DIY projects…I may or may not have found a new banister railing I think I *need*…

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To assemble the wood, all you have to do is lay the three 36″ boards side by side and apply wood glue in the grooves. Push them together, making sure that the top and bottom stay even, then let the glue dry. Measure 8″ from the top on one side and 12″ on the other and mark with a pencil. Use the marks as guides to position a 24″ piece of pine board as the hat brim. You can change this angle if you like, or even make the brim straight, depending on how you want your character to look. Attach the hat brim using screws. If you’re creating a door hanger, you’ll also add eye screws at the top to hold your rope. The DIH Workshop will go into detail about these steps and more for constructing the project.

Decorating Your Character

Once your project is assembled, it’s time to paint! I started by using a large brush to paint the face area white and the hat black. Of course, you can choose any colors you like to match your own decor. Let these base coats dry completely before moving on.

To me, the face is the most important part because it gives your character a personality! I started by sketching the face lightly in pencil so I could make any changes I wanted before it was permanent. First, I drew two ovals on the center board for eyes. Notice that the ovals are on slight diagonals, closer to each other at the top than the bottom. Next, I added two short diagonal lines for eyebrows that give the snowman a cheerful, excited expression. I love big-nosed snowmen, so I sketched a carrot that begins under the left eye and continues all the way past the center of the third board. It’s wider at the base than the tip, and I used curving lines to make it look more realistic than a standard triangle. Finally, I sketched a wiggly line smile that starts at the center of the leftmost board and ends at the center of the board on the right.

Once the face was sketched, I filled it in with color, using a black permanent marker for the eyes, mouth, and outlines, and paint for the nose and cheeks. I also used a white paint marker to create snowflake shaped highlights at the top of each eye.

Painted Wooden Snowman Face

When the face was finished, it was time to add some “snow” to the hat! I used the FolkArt Shorties brush, which is designed to create texture, and applied white paint in an up and down stippling motion. I added snow all the way across the top of the hat as well as on most of the brim. Try to avoid painting the snow in straight lines, because that’s not how snow falls and drifts. Paint more in some areas and less in others to look as natural as possible.

Finally, I applied a coat of FolkArt Extreme Hologram Glitter paint on top of the snowy areas. I also added some glitter to the cheeks and the highlights inside the snowman’s eyes. It’s difficult to see in the photos, but I promise he really sparkles in the sunlight!

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If you’re creating the standard Seasonal Character Door Hanger project, all you have to do at this point is add your rope and he’s ready to display! Because I was creating a slightly different variation, I had a few more steps to go. I painted the leftover scrap of pine board white and attached it securely to the back of my snowman using screws. We also used the jigsaw to create a point on the end of the board that will go into the ground. I marked the spot where I wanted the post to be visible at ground level {making sure that enough of the board would be buried to make it sturdy}, then measured up from there, marking off each inch from one to twelve.

Snowman Snow Measuring Stick

Next, I used a black permanent marker to trace the inch lines and to label the lines for 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 inches. Hopefully, we won’t need anything higher than that, but with Maryland winters, you never know! The final step, since he’ll be “living” outdoors and braving the elements is to apply a clear spray sealer to protect him from the weather.

I absolutely love the way this little guy turned out! Right now, he’s being stored, just waiting for the day after Thanksgiving when all my holiday decorations come out for the season. I can’t wait to display him in our yard where his smiling face will greet us {and our neighbors and friends} all winter long!

Snowman Measuring Stick

There are so many ways to personalize this project and make it truly your own, like using different paint colors, adding ribbon or greenery to the hat, adding a fabric scarf, and so much more. And don’t forget, yours can even be a different character altogether! For a ton of inspiration, check out the fabulous things my fellow DIY bloggers created with this same core project.

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She Leaves A Little Sparkle / The Rustic Life /  Tonality Designs /  Our Vintage Nest

Live Laugh Rowe / The Turquoise Home / Cherished Bliss / TIDBITS / Refresh Restyle / The Creative Mom / My Sister’s Suitcase / My Love 2 Create / Sweet Charli / Not Just A Housewife / Domestically Speaking / Lovely Etc / Redhead Can Decorate / Yesterday on Tuesday / Elizabeth Joan Design / All Things Thrifty / Our Thrifty Ideas / Junque Cottage / The Crafted Sparrow / Sweet Rose Studio

Which one is your favorite? What will you do with yours? Don’t forget to sign up for your local DIH Workshop so you can learn to create a Seasonal Character Door Hanger for your home! I can’t wait to see what you create!

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14 Comments

  1. Such a cute project!! I love the ruler for measuring snow. In Alabama it wouldn’t even get to the 1/2″ mark. My 4 year old would love some snow, but that just doesn’t happen often in Alabama.

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