Simple Wood Snowman Lawn Decoration

So we've all seen those super expensive neato snowman lawn decorations at Home Depot. They are cool, but way overpriced. When my wife said she wanted to buy one, I said "buy one?" - "Ha! I'll make one and it will be 10x sweeter than those stinkin' Home Depot ripoffs!" (that's not an exact quote - but it sounds good on paper.)
Here's basically what you'll need:

1 4'x4' piece of ply wood (1/2" is what I used)
1 2" x 4" x 6' (this only needs to be 36" long - this will act as a support beam to prop up your snowman)
scraps of 2"x6"
two twig arms
screws
2.5" bolts with nuts
4" strap hinge
jig saw
glue
black and white paint
optional - wood dowel for eyes (you can just paint these on if you want, this just adds a little more dimension and interest to the face)

Note: this nice thing about these wooden snowmen is that they fold up nicely and store away easily (much better than the aforementioned Home Depot snowmen)

Draw the Template

Make a template out of cardboard (only half - sorta like making paper valentine hearts)

Trace the Template Onto the Plywood

by using a half template you'll get a nice symmetrical snowman body

Cut Out the Shape With Your Jig Saw

Carefully cut out the shape - don't pull a rookie move my slicing into your $50 plastic Costco table

Sand Down the Edges

I used my trusty Dremel tool but any kind of wood file will work too. This should last many years so make sure to get the edges nice and smooth (or at least sliver free)

Cut the Arm Holders

These are blocks of wood that we'll use to hold the twig arms

Drill Holes in the Blocks That Will Hold the Twig Arms

The hole should be slightly smaller than your twigs cuz you can always widdle down the twigs to for a snug fit

Bolt on the Arm Holder Blocks - Friction Fit the Arms

I used 2.5" x 10-24 sized bolts but you can use anything that is close (using bolts and nuts is always cuz you can take the arms off easily vs. using wood screws)

the nice thing about using twig arms is that you can just throw the twigs away and get new ones the next year if need be.

Attach the Strap Hinge to the Support Beam

I put these on about at the neckline of the snowman - this is the support beam that will allow you to prop up your snowman

Paint the Front of the Snowman

I used wood lacquer to seal the back of the snowman, I want this baby to last several seasons if possible

Optional Step: Making the Eyes

Thinly slice a wood dowel into 7 pieces (mine was 1" in diameter)

Paint them black (only on one side)

Glue them on with Gorilla Epoxy Glue

Prop Up in Your Yard and Admire

I added some red tinsel for a scarf.

I also illuminated the snowman with a ground flood light (you can get these at Home Depot for around 10 bucks)