Floating Frame Snowman ⛄️

If you love snowmen and sparkly seasonal art, you're going to melt over this one! This mixed media snowman project is made on a floating glass frame and layered with cut glass, resin, beads, and a customizable background. The best part? You can swap out the background for different seasons! Whether you're a glass art beginner or a seasoned resin pro, this tutorial is packed with creative inspiration!

Step 1: Prep Your Frame

Begin by disassembling the floating frame and carefully removing the two glass panels. Choose one panel as the base for your art and clean it thoroughly to remove dust or fingerprints. Use painter’s tape to mask off about ¼ inch around all four edges. This will help keep your design centered and ensure it fits back inside the frame later without resin or embellishments getting in the way.

Step 2: Cut and Arrange Your Snowman

Using wheeled nippers, cut two circles from white sheet glass - one for the body and a slightly smaller one for the head. Hone the edges with a stone to make them smooth and safe to handle. Once your snowman shape is ready, add detail pieces like a purple scarf using smaller strips of colored glass, a carrot nose cut from orange glass, and round black beads or fire glass for the eyes and mouth. You can also lay out a few black nuggets or beads down the body for buttons. Play around with placement and spacing until you're happy with the arrangement, then set the pieces aside while you prep your resin.

Step 3: Mix Your Resin

For a project this size, you’ll only need about half an ounce of resin total (¼ oz resin + ¼ oz hardener). Mix your ArtResin thoroughly, stirring slowly for at least 3 minutes and scraping the sides and bottom of the cup as you go. You want to avoid whipping air into the mix - this helps reduce bubbles and gives you a cleaner pour. Once your resin is fully mixed, you’re ready to start layering.

Step 4: Pour & Place

Pour a small puddle of resin onto the center of your taped glass panel and use a silicone spreader, craft stick, or your gloved finger to gently smooth the resin outward toward the edges. Be careful not to go past the tape. Coat the back of each snowman piece with a little resin before placing it down - this helps the pieces adhere better and avoids trapping air underneath. Once everything is in place, use a heat gun to gently go over the surface and pop any visible bubbles before the resin begins to set.

Step 5: Add Sparkle

Around the base of your snowman, sprinkle a generous amount of Starfire crushed glass to mimic glistening snow. For extra texture and shimmer, add clear seed beads over and around the Starfire glass. If you want to go even more festive, you can add a few snowflake sequins or seed bead “flakes” floating around the snowman’s head. Use a bead tool or toothpick to nudge any pieces away from the tape edge so your artwork fits neatly back into the frame.

If you want to give your snowman even more personality, you can add earmuffs using two small buttons (cut in half if needed) on either side of the snowman’s head. Connect the earmuffs with a loop of green vitrigraph, gently arched over the top. You can also use curly pieces of vitrograph as whimsical arms sticking out from the body. 

Step 6: Cure & Clean

Let your finished piece cure flat for 24 hours. You can place the glass on silicone feet, blocks, or painter’s pyramids to lift it slightly while the resin sets. Once fully cured, gently remove the painter’s tape. If any tape is stuck under resin drips, you can soften it with a heat gun and peel it back slowly. Clean the front of the glass with a microfiber cloth to remove any resin haze or fingerprints.

Step 7: Add a Background (Optional)

Now it’s time to add your background if you want one! You can cut a piece of scrapbook paper to size (8x10) and layer it behind the finished snowman glass before reassembling the frame. Choose a simple pattern like blue snowflakes, glitter cardstock, music sheets, or even paint your own custom background. Once your layers are stacked, carefully slide both glass panels back into the frame and reattach the top screws.

The best part about using a floating frame is that you can swap out the background seasonally while keeping your glass artwork protected and intact. This snowman looks beautiful as part of a winter mantel, holiday gallery wall, or even propped on a shelf. 

If you don’t want to miss my Facebook LIVE art instruction, make sure you are on my texting list. I always text 10 minutes before I’m going to go LIVE, so you won’t ever miss it. You can text “Hey Cindy” to 901-519-2923.

Want more inspiration and artwork?

•  My website artshattered.com with resources, shop, and more!
•  My creative membership The Shattered Circle, where you can explore the world of glass art with online workshops, a supportive community, and more!
•  My mini creative membership Just A ‘Lil Bit Monthly Glass Art Club, where you’ll get a new quick and easy online tutorial for just a lil' bit of sparkle in your life!
• My Facebook page where I go LIVE every Wednesday night.
• My YouTube channel which has tons of free art lessons right at your fingertips.