This easy-to-make Snowman Christmas Tree Ornament was made by upcycling pork rib bones. Yes, you read that correctly, a pork rib bone! It’s a great project for older children to do and only costs pennies to make! You can make several of them in one weekend.

When working with rib bones you want to scrape off all of the meat using a scrub brush or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Wash the bones in hot, soapy water. I like to use Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Rinse with clean water and air dry. It may take 2-4 days depending on temperatures in your home. They need to be completely dry before painting them.

Paint the entire rib bone with white acrylic craft paint. That includes all sides, the top, and bottom. To get the coverage that we needed we used 3 coats of paint, allowing for 30-45 minutes of drying time between coats. Lay them on a non-stick surface (like a sheet of aluminum foil) to dry.

The kids who made these particular Christmas Tree Ornaments were 6 to 13 years of age. To keep it simple they used acrylic paint markers that we purchased from Amazon to add the snowman’s eyes, carrot shaped nose, and coal for his mouth. You can use regular paints and a paint brush if desired.

You can get fancy with the design by adding rosy cheeks, a corn-cob pipe, buttons running down the front, a ribbon scarf tied around the neck and make a little black top hat using craft foam. I would do all of that if working with adults. However, these were young children so we kept them simple.

Once the paint is dry the bones need to be preserved by taking them outside and spraying them with 2-3 coats of clear acrylic spray sealer. Let dry.

You’ll need a 6″ long piece of clear fishing line to make the knotted hanging loop. Use all-purpose craft glue to add it to the top of the ornament or have an adult use a hot glue gun. Let dry. That’s it, they’re done!

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