Epsom Salt Snowman Vase/Votive Holder

Transforming ordinary household items into festive and seasonal decorations is a fun and cost-effective way to add some holiday charm to your home. If you’re looking for a cute and easy DIY project that’s perfect for winter, then look no further than this snowman vase-turned-candle holder.

All it takes is a coat of paint and a dusting of Epsom salt to turn an ordinary glass vase into an adorable snowman that can be used as a candle holder. The Epsom salt adds a frosty texture that perfectly complements the white paint, creating a winter wonderland effect that’s sure to bring a smile to your face.

The best part is that this snowman won’t melt, so you can enjoy its cheerful presence all season long. Plus, since it’s a candle holder, you can add a warm and cozy glow to your home, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere that’s perfect for holiday gatherings or quiet nights in.

Madigan Made offers a step-by-step tutorial on how to create this snowman vase-turned-candle holder, complete with detailed instructions and helpful tips to make the project go smoothly. With just a few basic supplies and a little bit of time, you can create a charming and unique winter decoration that is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

Get the tutorial at Madigan Made.

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier.

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project.

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible.

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge.

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects.

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy.

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Xandy Peters]

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