Turn recycled coffee sleeves into adorable corrugated cardboard snowman ornaments with this easy, budget-friendly Christmas craft tutorial.
How to upcycle cardboard into snowman Christmas ornaments
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I do love a good corrugated cardboard craft—especially when it starts with something that would normally end up in the recycling bin!
For these adorable little snowman ornaments, I saved a couple of cardboard coffee collars from a local coffee shop. You know the ones: they have a smooth layer of cardboard on the outside with that fun corrugated texture hidden inside.
With a little cutting, paint, and a few tiny twigs from the yard, those leftover coffee sleeves became the cutest rustic snowman ornaments. This is a practically zero-dollar Christmas craft if you already have basic paint and ribbon in your craft stash—and each little snowman has its own personality.
The corrugated texture gives these ornaments a cozy, handmade look that is perfect for a rustic Christmas tree. They would also look adorable tied onto wrapped gifts or tucked into a holiday garland.
Video Tutorial: Corrugated Cardboard Snowman Ornaments
Watch this quick video to see how this craft came together:
Corrugated Cardboard Snowman Ornaments
Save those cardboard coffee collars! Learn how to transform them into rustic snowman Christmas ornaments using paint, twigs, and ribbon.
Materials
- Corrugated cardboard coffee collars
- Washi tape rolls in different sizes
- White acrylic craft paint
- Black acrylic craft paint
- Orange acrylic craft paint
- Thin twigs or small tree branches
- ¼-inch-wide red and white checkered ribbon
- Parchment paper
Tools
- Pen or pencil
- Craft scissors
- Small paintbrush
- Fine-detail paintbrush
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Instructions
- Watch the Video. Follow along with the video tutorial for a step-by-step walkthrough of how to turn recycled coffee collars into adorable corrugated cardboard snowman ornaments.
- Trace the Snowman Shapes. Open and flatten a corrugated cardboard coffee collar. Use two different-sized rolls of washi tape to trace stacked circles for the snowman’s head and body. There are no exact measurements—just eyeball the placement and use whatever circle sizes fit your coffee collar.
- Cut Out the Snowmen. Use craft scissors to cut around the outside of the traced snowman shapes. Flip each cutout over so the corrugated side faces forward.
- Make the Top Hats. Freehand a small top hat on a leftover piece of the coffee collar. Draw a simple rectangular top with a narrow brim, then cut it out. Flip the hat over so the corrugated texture faces forward.
- Paint the Snowmen and Hats. Paint the front and back of each snowman white. Depending on the paint you use, you may need two coats. Paint both sides of the tiny top hats black, using a gentle pouncing motion to work the paint into the corrugated texture. Place the pieces on parchment paper and allow them to dry completely.
- Add the Hats and Twig Arms. Hot glue a top hat slightly off-center at the top of each snowman’s head. Cut very thin twigs into pieces approximately 1 to 1½ inches long, then hot glue one twig to each side of the snowman to create the arms.
- Paint the Snowman Details. Use a fine-detail paintbrush and black craft paint to add two charcoal eyes, a dotted smile, and buttons. Finish each face with a tiny orange carrot nose.
- Add the Ribbon Hangers. Cut a 7-inch piece of ¼-inch-wide ribbon for each ornament. Hot glue the ends together to form a loop, then glue the base of the loop to the back of the snowman’s head. Your upcycled corrugated cardboard snowman ornaments are ready to hang on the Christmas tree!
The Finished Snowman Ornaments
These little corrugated snowmen turned out so cute—and it all started with a couple of cardboard coffee collars that would have otherwise been thrown away.
I love the combination of the textured cardboard, tiny twig arms, crooked black hats, and simple hand-painted faces. They have a rustic, homemade charm without looking like a kids’ craft.
Best of all, you can make each snowman a little different. Change the ribbon, adjust the hat angle, paint different expressions, or make an entire snowman family for your Christmas tree.
The next time you grab a cup of coffee, save that cardboard sleeve. With a little paint and creativity, it might just become your next Christmas ornament!
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