Ideas for a Cool Igloo

• An igloo made out of sugar cubes fits right into winter or Christmas décor. sugar steps image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com

  Children will enjoy making a cool igloo craft to celebrate the approach of winter and the colder weather. You can use household items to create an igloo that would make a lively decoration for your mantle or table, or you could give it to someone as a gift.

Sugar Cubes

• Use a 7-inch circular piece of cardboard for the base of a sugar cube igloo. This will be your guide. Build the igloo by making a big circle of cubes as the base and adding cubes on top, decreasing the number of cubes as you go to make the dome of the igloo. Glue the cubes together as you build the igloo by making a paste consisting of two whipped egg whites mixed with three cups of powdered sugar. Use a pastry brush to brush the paste on the cubes as you add each layer on top of the previous one. Make sure to start the next layer offset from the previous layer; for example, lay the edge of the first cube of the next layer in the middle of a cube on the previous layer so that the cube is centered over two cubes on the previous layer. Ten layers should make a nice sized igloo. Make an arch for the front entrance by gluing sugar cubes together to form the arch, and then glue it to the igloo. Allow it to dry.

Edible Igloo

• Make an edible igloo using miniature marshmallows. A Styrofoam tray will hold the craft, and a simple base such as a Styrofoam cup will help provide shape for the igloo. Use white frosting to hold the igloo together if you'd like to eat it later, or you can use glue it will simply serve as a decoration. Build the igloo around the cup and on top of the cup by using the frosting or glue to place marshmallows all over the cup to make the igloo's dome shape. Layer the marshmallows in rows to make the bricks of the igloo. Place more marshmallows around the igloo for decoration.

Egg Carton

• Use a white Styrofoam egg carton to make a creative igloo craft. Separate the egg cups by cutting them apart with scissors. Make layers of egg carton cups by gluing six on the bottom in a circle, then three, then one on the top. Use another egg cup to make the door by cutting a door shape out of it and gluing it to the front of the igloo. A polar bear friend can peek out of the door. Make the polar bear by gluing two small white craft pompoms to a large white pompom to make the bear's ears. Glue small googly eyes on to the large pompom to make a polar bear face. Glue the bear face to the entrance of the igloo.