Paper chains of snowmen brighten a winter's day

December 31, 1:29 PMArts and Crafts ExaminerGretchen Goetz

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  Vary paper snowmen by adding tophats and other individual details.

As a young girl growing up in Texas, I always felt cheated by how rarely we got snow, much less enough to make a decent snowman. It seemed to me that should have been a prerequisite of winter, no matter where you lived. I’m sure there are lots of kids today who feel the same.

Of course, nothing beats the real thing, but there are other ways to make a snowman on a cold winter day like these easy to make paper chains.

You’ll need several sheets of white typing paper. Premium or presentation paper is a brighter white and more durable than regular paper. Fold one sheet in half lengthwise, matching up the corners, and then crease down the middle. Tear it in half, so you’ll have two sheets measuring 11” x 4 1/4”.

Fold one of the torn sheets in half again, widthwise, again matching up the corners and creasing down the middle. Fold one open end over to match up with the center seam and crease. Flip the paper over and repeat with the other open end; the paper should now be pleated accordion style and measure 2 3/4” x 4 1/4” when folded.

Draw a simple snowman on one side of the folded paper. At least one part of the snowman must touch the edge of the paper on each side to make a chain. If you want to make chains you can hang in the window, just have the arms extend to the sides. If you want to make a group of snowmen that can stand on its own, extend the arms as well as the base of the snowman to the sides.

Cut out the snowman. Cutting out one side and then the other, instead of starting in one place and cutting around the whole thing,  prevents the folded paper from slipping. You should have a string of four snowmen when finished. To make longer chains, repeat the process and tape several chains together. Decorate with colored pencils or markers.

You can make your snowmen sparkle by painting a little white glue around the edges and sprinkling with iridescent glitter.