Do you want to build a snowman? This adorable Olaf sock snowman was created for Lu's Frozen birthday party several years ago. Now that Frozen II is soon to be in theaters, I think it's time to make little Olafs again! This project is perfect for parties because each guest can make their own. The project was a huge hit for us, and I hope it will be for you, too. Want to learn how to make your own "Happy Snowman?" I'm super excited to share the tutorial and a free printable for the felt pieces. Here we go!
Special thanks to Bear (age 12) for helping me out with this project. She hates getting her picture taken, but she made the ultimate sacrifice and let me take pictures of her creating Olaf. (As long as I didn't take pictures of her face, of course!)
RELATED: 40+ Crafts to Make with Your Kids, Marshmallow Snowman Tutorial, Frozen Fever Snowgies Craft
Olaf Sock Snowman Tutorial
You can adapt this tutorial for any size sock, but my measurements and printable are sized for Bobby Socks, kids size small, fits shoe sizes 5 ½ to 8 ½. You can use anything from a toddler sock to an adult sock, but I liked this size the best.
Materials Needed
- 1 bobby sock
- Approximately 1 ⅓ cups of rice -- any kind (for larger socks, use more rice)
- 2 1-inch white pom poms
- Orange felt -- just a small piece
- Large googly eyes (mine are about 1 cm in diameter)
- Adhesive-backed black felt--one sheet of sticky-backed felt is enough for 12 snowmen.
- 3 clear hair elastics. (I used goody brand, medium size. They come in tiny, medium and large sizes.)
- Hot glue gun and glue
- Free Olaf Features Printable. Click download link below to get the download.
Video Tutorial
Directions
*Hint. When filling the sock with rice, you will need a helper. One person holds the sock open and the other pours the rice. Or, check out the video tutorial for an even easier way to fill up the socks that even little kids can do all by themselves.
- Pour just under ¾ C rice into the bottom of the sock, and squeeze and shake it down until you have the shape you want for Olaf's bottom. Make sure that the top of the sock is centered in the middle.
- Using a clear hair band, secure sock tightly just above the rice.
- Pour just over ⅛ C rice into the sock, squeeze and shake down the rice, and secure the section with a second clear hairband.
- Pour a little less than ½ C rice into the sock, and squeeze and shake down the rice. Shape the head so that it is taller than it is wide, and secure it with the third clear hairband.
- Starting where the middle section touches the bottom section, secure the ball with hot glue so that Olaf keeps his shape. Repeat where the head and middle ball touch.
- Starting with the mouth, peel the backing off the felt pieces (one at a time), and stick them to Olaf's face and body. (I did not provide a pattern for the nose, but any old triangle-ish shape will do.)
- Glue the nose and eyes on with hot glue.
- Add the arms and the pom-pom feet.
- Don't forget the hair! Be sure to attach it at the bottom of the elastic hair tie, or it will look like it's floating. (You'll see some floating hair in the picture of the kids' finished Olafs.)
RELATED: Frozen Castle Party Invitations, Olaf Build a Snowman Party Invitations
The adhesive-backing on the felt is pretty temporary. If you are doing this project yourself, once you have the shapes where you want them, add a little hot glue to make them stay. If you are doing this project with kids, just wait until they are finished and then add the hot glue. (The pieces are way too small for the kids to help with the gluing.)
Poor Olaf. He's missing his eyebrows! We didn't even notice until we started making them at the birthday party. Actually, several of the kids decided to leave off the eyebrows, but I like them! For me, it's not Olaf without the trademark eyebrows!
Just look at all of these Happy Snowmen! I hope your family likes this project as much as we did. Special thanks to Sarah at Repeat Crafter Me for the Olaf idea. She created hers using tiny socks and polyfill. Check them out here. They're adorable! Without her post, I would never have figured out how to give Olaf hair!
Thanks for stopping by today. I have lots more Frozen activities from the party coming! Need more Olaf? Check out these posts. (Images below are linked.)
Did you know that I have free bingo games and lunchbox jokes on my site? Be sure to check those out, too. What do you think? Should I make a Frozen bingo game?
Julie
What a fun idea! And perfect for one of my unmatched socks ;)
Heidi
Thanks, Julie! You mean we're not the only family with lots of mismatched socks? :-)
Hanna
That is such an amazing tutorial! I have seen other people make Olaf in that sort of way but the way you do it makes Olaf look so cute and adorable! Love it. :)
Heidi
Thanks so much, Hannah. What a nice compliment! Have a great weekend.
Daniele
This is adorable. My daughter went to a Frozen birthday party over the winter. She said it was the best party she ever went to! This would be great for a party decoration!
Heidi
Thanks, Daniele. The kids actually made these at the party and loved it!
Alli
The snowman is adorable and I bet the Frozen birthday party was awesome! I have to pin this!
Heidi
Thanks so much, Alli. I know you're quite the party planner, so that's a great compliment!
Karen W
Very cute. My girls are going to love this. They are constantly singing the songs and acting out the movie.
Heidi
Thanks, Karen! I'm not sure who sings the songs more -- me or my kids!
Annie
Love it!! What a great idea for Frozen party!!
Heidi
Thanks, Annie. The kids really enjoyed it at the party.
Stretchingittotravel
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Heidi
Thanks so much!
Jenna
Completely adorable idea!
Heidi
Thanks, Jenna! They were a lot of fun to make with the kids.
Melinda @Home.Made.Interest
Stopping by from Connections for Blog Growth "stumble upon".
Heather
How cute is this? Wish there were more ideas when we had our party.
Heidi
Thanks, Heather. I still have a lot more Frozen party ideas coming. Maybe your kids will want another one next year! :)
Jennifer @Making Our Life Matter
What a totally adorable craft! That would make a good winter decoration as well!
Heidi
Good idea, Jennifer. We have three of them at our house now!
krystalskitsch
What a sweet craft idea! I loved Olaf :)
Heidi
Thanks, Krystal! I love Olaf, too.
Chrystal @ YUM eating
I have to admit, I am a little over Frozen, but I love the idea of making an Olaf out of a sock as a rainy day craft. Thank you!
Heidi
You're welcome, Crystal. My kids are still loving Frozen, but I think I've finally seen it enough times!
Clare
Oh he is adorable - and doesn't look too difficult to make either. I have to get my kiddos hooked on Frozen so that we can use some of your ideas for a birthday party!
Heidi
Thanks, Clare! I just had to watch the movie once, and I was hooked!
Megan
Love it! Can't wait to try it with my girls, thanks!
Heidi
Thanks, Megan! I hope you and your girls have a lot of fun!
Lisa at Mabey She Made It
Your post was the most-viewed at the Do Tell Tuesday party! Congrats!
Heidi Fowler
That's so cool! Thanks, Lisa!
Dr Sonia S V
Loved your olaf tutorial . Must try this with my daughter Thank you for sharing.
Heidi Fowler
Thanks so much, Sonia! I hope you have a lot of fun together!
Crystal
I am having a frozen birthday party for my daughter this coming weekend and are making these with kiddos! I'm excited for them. When printing the downloaded attachments, are what size should they be? Thanks for the awesome pin for these!
Heidi Fowler
Sorry I missed this, Crystal! I hope you figured it out. The printable is 8 1/2 x 11.
Deebbi27
I love Frozen, this sock Olaf is adorable! I am thinking of making one for my grandson...Thanks so much!!!
Heidi Fowler
Thanks so much! I hope your grandson likes it as much as my girls do.
Cheryl
These are A-dorable!! What a great idea! Thank you for sharing!!
Heidi Fowler
Thanks, Cheryl, and you're welcome. I hope you try it!
Aurora
Love this! Did you have all the kids making these at the same time? I might need a few more glue guns and moms for that! :)
Heidi Fowler
Yes. There were four adults at the party. I think three of us helped with the project, and we used two glue guns.
Aurora
Thanks for your response! I'm having a terrible time finding socks that don't have grey toes!! Where did you find yours??
Aurora
Oh it like Target has them!! Yay!
Kristy
Olaf just has the cutest face ever and this is a really cute craft idea. I plan on making a few Olaf crafts for the holidays Thanks for sharing!
Heidi Fowler
Thanks, Kristy. I hope you try it. My girls love theirs.
Lor
This is so "cool". I have shared this on my page as a part of this week's Trend Setter. Thank you for sharing. Lor.xx http://www.facebook.com/BeadsBraidsAndBows
Heidi Fowler
Thanks so much for sharing, Lor! I just popped by and liked your page.
Carol Moyer
Thanks for sharing the pattern. Love the size. Granddaughter is only three so I think I will use the fiberfill due to her age. She will love it. Thanks again.
Heidi Fowler
Thanks, Carol. I would just be sure that she is beyond the "putting things in her mouth"stage. The eyes would be a choking hazard. Have fun!
zan
these were the best. i loved to make them. i used two of them to decorate a santa chair and all the kids asked why they ere their and i said their saints little helpers and two olafs is better and more funny than one!! thanks for the idea! : - )
Heidi Fowler
Thanks so much for coming back and telling me about it, Zan! I love to hear when people use my ideas. It sounds like you had a lot of fun!
maria
This didn't turn out well for me.
Heidi Fowler
I'm sorry to hear that, Maria. Is there a particular part that I can explain better so that others don't have the same problem?
My Magical Elf
Thank you for sharing...our kids love Olaf. We'll be trying this one for sure this weekend!
Heidi Fowler
Have fun! My kids actually sleep with theirs. (We had to hot glue the felt pieces to make sure they didn't fall off in the bed.)
Linda
Just found this OLAF! ...tutorial ...my grandchildren Love Olaf!....and my little one who lives close by would love to make one with me!...So glad I found this and Thank You for sharing it is Awesome!!! :) <3
Heidi Fowler
I'm so glad you like it, Linda. Have fun with your grandchildren!
Dolores Colarosa
I came across this most adorable post on Pintrest a few days ago. We are having a Frozen-themed Winter Reading Club at our library, and Olaf is the perfect project to kick off our program! I can't thank you enough for your extremely detailed instructions! The kids are going to LOVE this so much! Thank you for sharing this with all of us!!
Heidi Fowler
Have fun, Dolores! Make sure you have a few adults or older kids to help.
Michelle
Love this! We're going to make them with our Guides at our holiday craft night in December. Just one question - what size are the eyes? I can't decide if it's better to risk them being too big or too small
Heidi Fowler
Good question, Michelle. Don't know why I didn't think to put that in! The eyes came in a pack with many sizes, so I'm not sure the exact size. Using a ruler, they are about 1 cm in diameter. Hope that helps. Have fun!
Sarah
Wow!! My husband and I just hosted our first "Kids' Christmas Craft Night" in Nicaragua. This was a "must-do" because our neighbor girls (4 and 5 years old) run around singing "Soy Libre" which is the translation for "Let it Go." So I knew this craft had to be done. It's not always easy to find crafting stuff here- but it all came together. Thanks again, great tutorial. If you want to see pictures shoot me an email, I'd love to share.
Heidi Fowler
I'd love to see pictures! I'll send you a separate email. So exciting to know that my ideas are being shared all over the world!
Wendy Byde
Love love love this!
Erica
Love this! Thanks for sharing! I'm room mom for my son's 2nd grade class and this would be perfect for his holiday party activity. So how did you got about all the felt pieces? Did you have to trace them and cut them all out? Was that pretty tedious? Thanks so much!
Heidi
Hi, Erica. There is a printable with this post for all the cutout pieces. Yes. I did cut them all out. I tried using my silhouette, but it wouldn't cut the felt. It took some time, but it wasn't too bad.
sandra
Awesome and lovely. you give me a brilliant idea.
Grace
Hi! Very nice tutoriel. I made these with my upper setion kindergarden class! 28 olafs!! The children loved to do them and it turned out to be a real success. To fill the socks with rice. I made a hole in the bottom of a plastic,picnic goblets, inserted it into the socks and made the kids fill the socks with the rice.. They were happy and proud to make thier snowman all by themselves. Thank you.
Heidi Fowler
28 kids! Wow! Your filling idea is genius. Thanks so much for sharing it. I'll add it into the post so that others can use it as well. Such a great idea. Thanks for letting me know! I love to hear when people enjoy my projects.
Lisa Moore
I am hoping to do this for my daughter's 4th grade class craft. I am thinking the hot glue gun would be too much for me and the teacher to do for 24 kids. Do you think fabric glue would work?
Heidi Fowler
Have fun, Lisa! (Check out the comment above yours for a great idea on how to fill the socks without making a mess. It's from a teacher who did it with 28 kindergardeners!) I think fabric glue would be a better idea for school. That way you wouldn't have the liability of a child getting burned accidentally. I'd love to hear how it goes.
Grace
Hello!!!!!
As for the glue I used fast sticking Glue that comes in tubes,when working with the children. I used hot glue after just to assure and give a better form. I think fabric glue can be a good idea too.
Heidi Fowler
Thanks, Grace! I'm still amazed that you tackled this with 28 kids at once! I did it with about ten kids and four adults.
Cathy Ehlert
Such a fun idea. I plan to make craft kits for a local children's hospital, Primary Childrens Hospital.
I have been searching everywhere for a plain white bobby sock with no luck. The socks are always cute and colorful but not the basic white. Could you tell me where you found yours? Thanks!
Heidi
I'm so sorry I missed this, Cathy! I've gotten socks for this at the dollar store and walmart. I hope you were able to find something in time!
GayleG
These are adorable and I know they'll be popular with my after school group. Heidi, have you or anyone else converted the printable into an .svg file that I can use on my Silhouette Cameo?
Heidi Fowler
I tried, but it would not cut felt.
Becky Jorgensen
Oh my!!! This Olaf is super fun and cute!! I love that it's super easy to make! I featured it in my blog: http://www.plushiepatterns.com/olaf-sock-snowman-tutorial/ Thank you so much for sharing! The kids will definitely love this!
Heidi
Thanks so much, Becky. And thanks for the feature!
Alpha Carina
Wow, so cute! I will make some for the kids. I'm sure they're going to love this, they really love Olaf! It's so simple to make.
Thanks for this adorable idea. :-)
Becky Jorgensen
Hello there! love your Olaf tutorial! sooo easy, and fun! I featured it in my blog: http://www.plushiepatterns.com/olaf-sock-snowman-tutorial/ Thanks for sharing! love it!
Amy Cernauskas
I just shared your adorable link on my blog http://www.realityofamommy.blogspot.com and can't wait to try it!!
mike
Hello there! this is the best Olaf tutorial i've seen, thank for writing this interesting guide..
Tattooed Guy
Hi! Very nice tutoriel. I made these with my upper setion kindergarden class! 28 olafs!! The children loved to do them and it turned out to be a real success. To fill the socks with rice. I made a hole in the bottom of a plastic,picnic goblets, inserted it into the socks and made the kids fill the socks with the rice.. They were happy and proud to make thier snowman all by themselves. Thank you.
Marry Kate
Its really awesome and creative too . Thank you.
Candace T. Dobbins
awesome article. I will love to make this for my little princess. Thanks for sharing keep sharing more and more
Kuldeep
Awesome and lovely. A fun idea for me to try at home.
Thanks for sharing.
Heidi
You're welcome, Kuldeep. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
Urgent Care Near Me
Awesome post! Thanks for sharing really liked the tutorials....
Heidi
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the tutorial. Olaf is fun!
Adam
This is awesome idea and tutorial! Thanks for sharing it. My kids are crazy about olaf and frozen in general. :D
Heidi
Thanks, Adam. Isn't it crazy how the love for all things Frozen and Olaf reappears each Christmas?
Japanese dog breeds
This is wonderful!
Sarah
Ha! I don't have kids but I'll be doing this craft myself! I'm also so excited you added the tiny fever snowmen, those are precious.
Heidi
Thanks, Sarah. I don't know what I'll do when my kids grow up and I can't do kids' crafts anymore. Wait for grandchildren, I guess!
Brigette
These ideas are AMAZING!! My kiddos are going to love them!
Heidi
Thanks, Brigette. I hope you and your kids have a great time!
Jacqui Odell
These are so cute!! I want to make one for my daughter.
Heidi
Have fun, Jacqui. There's just something about Olaf, don't you think?
Amber Myers
This is so fun! My daughter would love to make Olaf.
Heidi
Thanks, Amber. You and your daughter should try it! It's not hard.
Meghan
This is such a great DIY idea!! I am definitely going to make one with my niece next week!
Heidi
Thanks, Meghan. I hope you two have a great time together! (You'll be the fun aunt for sure!)
David
Love This. Kids will love it.
Mihaela Echols
aww these are so cute! I remember making something like this when I was a kid!
Heidi
Thanks, Mihaela. I've made a lot of sock snowmen in my time, too.
Angela Tolsma
Oh gosh! He's adorable! What a great tutorial!
Heidi
Thanks, Angela. He was a lot of fun to make with my kids.
AMANDA
Aw this is super cute! I love it!
Heidi
Thanks, Amanda! There's just something about Olaf. I wonder how long kids will still be in love with him.
Chloe
These little faces are so cute! They do really remind me of Olaf!
Heidi
Thanks, Chloe. I think the faces are the key to making something look like Olaf.
Isaly Holland
This is so adorable and an easy tutorial!
xoxo
Isaly Holland
http://www.memoriesbyisaly.com
Heidi
Thanks, Isaly. I'm glad I finally added a video tutorial to this post. I think it helps a lot.
Wren
You have such cute tutorials on your site. I think my girls would love to make a Olaf Sock Snowman! I will be saving this, thank you!
Heidi
Thanks, Wren. I really appreciate the compliment. Have a great Christmas!
Cristina L.
Wow, this is so fun and easy. It's great for kids party and even teach them how to make it their own.
Heidi
Thanks, Cristina. We made ours at a birthday party, and they were a big success.
My Teen Guide
What a cute idea! This is unique and easy to make! Kids will surely love it.
Heidi
Thanks, My Teen Guide. It sure was a lot of fun to make.
Elizabeth
How utterly adorable is this!? My kids would have loved this when they were going through their Frozen phase. :)
Heidi
Thanks, Elizabeth. The Frozen phase seems to resurface around here at Christmas time (at least the Olaf part).
Jackie Taylor
Very nice idea for a Frozen themed party or winter activities at home!! Thanks for sharing!
Heidi
Thanks, Jackie. We're always looking for fun winter activities once it gets too cold to play outside.
KatrinaJeanCarter
I love how Olaf is STILL such a big hit! This certainly looks like a fun and easy DIY project to do with my niece :) Thanks for the idea! Happy holidays :)
Heidi
Thanks, Katrina. It's a really fun project. You'd definitely be the fun aunt if you did this with your niece.
Ana De- Jesus
Wow! Bear is so smart I love the Olaf sock snowman tutorial it looks fantastic!
Heidi
Thanks, Ana. Bear was a good helper for this project.
Debra M Schroeder
This is so stinkin' cute. And what better way to use those orphaned socks.
Debra @ Traveling Well For Less
This is so stinkin' cute!
Jill Conyers
That has to be one of the cutest craft ideas I've ever seen. Great idea for elementary school teachers.
Heidi
Aw, thanks, Jill! Several elementary school teachers have used this craft in their classrooms and told me it was a success. I've only used it at home for birthday parties.
Hey Sharonoox
Oh my gosh! This DIY tutorial looks amazing. I can't wait to do it with my kid. Such a great idea. Thanks!
Heidi
Thanks, Sharon. I hope you have a great time making Olaf at your house!
Michelle Lynn
Oh my goodness. Great great job. Love this craft.
Heidi
Thanks, Michelle. It was a lot of fun. I'm glad you like it. Merry Christmas!
Elizabeth O.
Aww! What an adorable arts and crafts idea! I'm sure this will make a lot of kids happy over the season! It would be an awesome decor or a nice gift to the kids! It's definitely worth the effort!
Heidi
Thanks so much, Elizabeth! It was a lot of fun. We use Olaf as a craft and decor for sure.
Sondra Barker
These must've been so fun to make! They're so cute as well!
Heidi
Thanks, Sondra. He was so fun to make that we have about five at our house!
TColeman
These are so cute! My kids would love to make something like this.
Heidi
Thanks, TColeman! You should try it with your kids.
Carol Cassara
These are the cutest! I've never made arts and crafts like this before, it's awesome! I would love to give this away to kids especially those who aren't really fortunate enough to celebrate Christmas.
Heidi
Thanks, Carol. What a nice thought. I'm sure any kids would love to receive a sock Olaf. My girls sleep with theirs.
Patric Huges
Great idea for elementary school teachers.
Paras
nice tutorial... snowman..i am loving it
Sharma
I really Enjoyed your tutorial loving it
Harnek
So Cute
MonalisaSharma
Never the less snowman is too cute
Tejwinder Singh
Finding your tutorial very easy. I hope I can follow the steps and make a beautiful Snowman for my kids
Marcus
This Olaf Sock Snowman Tutorial looks so easy to do. Kids will love this.
Antonio
A decor that will remind you of the winter time in any season. Very beautiful.
Christain
Wow I Really loved these snowman ideas. Frozen is favorite movie of my Kids.
Joëlle
C'est vraiment très beau. Je vais essayer d'en fabriquer pour Noël. Ma petite Lou sera heureuse. Merci ce nous faire partager
Heidi
You're welcome, Joelle. I hope you and Lou enjoy making the Olaf Sock Snowman.
Sanjana
Wow I Really loved these snowman ideas. Frozen is favorite movie of my Kids.
Heidi
Thanks, Sanjana. You and your kids should try this activity out. It's really fun.
alise
i really love your content cheers to this awesome tutorial..!!
mylisa
the way you explaied this tutorial is superb keep it up i just love reading this type of content.
Mek
it's very nice thought to make Olaf Sock Snowman For children learn.
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We want to use this for an activity. I can't find sticky back felt. Where did you get yours? Did you cut these out with a cricket? Will sticky back craft foam work? Thanks for a great idea and great instructions!!
Heidi
Hi, Leone. It’s been years since I made these, but I think I got the felt at Michaels. If you don’t have one near you, google “sticky backed felt,” and you’ll probably see something near you. I originally tried curing the felt with my Silhouette, but it wouldn’t cut. I know the new Cricuits can do some cool things, so it might work. I cut all of mine by hand. Hope this works for you.
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