Hoppin’ in a Winter Wonderland with Prickles and the Carter

This article, written by Prickles the Jackalope, originally appeared on the Carter’s website (see original here) and is shared with their permission and our thanks. 

It’s wintertime at the Carter and I’m feeling excited about the cold weather, crunchy leaves, hot cocoa, and, of course, winter artworks! I thought I might warm my whiskers with a quick hop through the Museum galleries. Maybe I’ll even find some inspiration for making some art of my own!

Charles M. Russell (1864-1926); Lost in a Snowstorm — We Are Friends; 1888; oil on canvas; Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas; 1961.144

Look at all that snow! I can just picture myself hopping around inside Charles Russell’s Lost in a Snowstorm – We Are Friends. Can you hear the icy wind howling? Can you feel the snow stinging your cheeks? How would you feel if you were lost in a snowstorm? How would you keep warm? If you look closely, you can see the Blackfeet rider in the middle using hand signals to help the other riders find their way!

Wintertime means more than just snow. Winter also reminds me of … tasty treats! Warm bread, carrot cake, and turnip turnovers! I found some yummy artworks, like Ave Bonar’s photograph, La Estrella Bakery, McAllen, on the Carter’s collection page.

This photograph reminds me of cozy mornings in the burrow with my family, making cinnamon rolls and sweet carrot buns. Bonar took this picture so that she could show what life was like in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. What are the bakers in this picture doing with their hands? What else do they need to do before the bread is ready to eat? Think about the treats you like to enjoy with your family during the cold winter months. Do you like to buy them from a bakery, or make them at home?

Now that I’ve looked at some cozy artworks, I’m ready to get creative! I want to make a snow globe filled with my favorite winter things. Let’s make one together!

All the supplies you will need to make your own snow globe!

Materials:

• Clear container with a screw-top lid
• Polymer clay
• Water
• Karo syrup
• Glitter or sequins
• Food coloring
• Hot glue or super glue (make sure you have a grownup helping you!)

Instructions

Prickles made a carrot to put in his snow globe.

Step 1: Use your polymer clay to make small sculptures for your “winter wonderland” scene. What people, animals, foods, and other objects remind you of winter? Follow the package directions to bake your sculptures when they’re finished.

Prickles gets a little help from his favorite grownup when gluing his sculptures.

Step 2: Glue your sculptures to the lid of your jar.

Remember to ask a grown up for help pouring the water and Karo syrup!

Step 3: Fill your jar halfway with water. Fill the rest with Karo syrup, leaving 1 inch empty at the top. Add glitter and food coloring.

Enjoy your masterpiece!

Step 4: Tightly screw your lid onto the jar. Shake and enjoy! To make your snow globe permanent, add hot glue or super glue around the rim of the jar before screwing the lid on.