The treasured classic “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a yearly staple in my house. It’s equal parts nostalgic and classic storytelling wrapped in an old school stop motion wrapper. From Hermey the elf dentist to Sam the snowman, there is a lot to love about this mid-60′s holiday special.
In my mind, the scene stealer of the entire program has always been Bumble the abominable snow monster. As a child he frightened the Charles Dickens out of me. Then again, his story of being a mis-understood, tooth-aching good guy has always been his redeeming quality. Thus the fear of his form is also coupled with a great Christmas character who in the end is a pretty decent snow monster who finds new life as a tree decorator.
Apparently I’m not alone. As nicknamed by Yukon Cornelius, Bumble the snow monster is quite the legendary Christmas figure. Since it’s debut, and subsequent cult following, the snowy guy has created quite the buzz. So I’m here to highlight a few of the really great “stuffs” that some wonderful people have built, crafted, and curated for the rest of us to enjoy. Let the snow monster list begin!
via Hungie Gungie
The Stocking
Homemade stockings have been all the rage for the last couple of years. And it seems the more layers of felt, the better. Indeed, that is the case as this home spun stocking features our hairy friend hanging out in his natural habitat with a Christmas tree hovering overhead. It’s the best of both worlds. A snapshot of Bumble’s life in one giant sock. This is something that you could make at home with the kids or merely for your own nostalgic pleasure. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this really cute depiction. I’m unsure of the size, but the execution of awesomeness is top notch. Poetic really.
via CrochetMe
The Slippers
I’m probably the least crafty person you know. But even I find crochet work fascinating. A seemingly lost art form has had a rebirth of sorts, and thanks to this lovely demonstration you can now adorn your young ones feet with abominable snow monster slippers. Soft, warm, and cuddly – the step-by-step instructions are certainly Greek to me, but the end result might be worth the time. Your kids will love them, and also give an excuse to RAWRRRRR in their best Bumble voice.
via Cafe Press
The Clock
When you yank the tree out of the attic, and unpack the ornaments, don’t forget to hang your Bumble wall clock. Scare your friends at holiday parties with this time piece. Or you can put it in your office cubicle as you dream of your late December vacation, and maybe a potential snow closing. For only $15 this guy can be yours. If you really dig this, get the matching chef apron for $22. Double abominable!
via Cupcakes by Erin
The Cupcakes
This should have been done years ago (or at least I should have discovered it years ago). Take your fluffy, primarily white snow monster and turn him into a fluffy cupcake. The fur, that beady black eyes, the dark blue face – he absolutely begs to be made into a cupcake. Here, even Rudolph gets the cuppie treatment. The vanilla cake, vanilla icing, and vanilla touches make a beautiful wintry cupcake in the time honored tradition of the can-be cutesy Bumble. I wonder how they taste? Perhaps salty with a hint of sweetness? Yes!
via Etsy
The Hat
Adorn your head with the fuzzy guy via a crocheted hat over at Etsy. The site, now very popular, specializes in homemade products, so you know when you drop $27 on this item it’s one-of-a-kind. Available in both child and adult sizes, the hat captures the snow monster in his angry face period. Capped off with lots of fuzzies, folks on the street will instantly recognize the blue face. Now that I think about it, why not buy one for your entire family? You can all head to the mall for some last minute shopping looking like complete goofballs, oops, I mean, awesome people.
via Paper Mama
The Shirt
Authentic Bumble shirts that embrace the Rankin/Bass characters are hard to come by. Most likely due to licensing. However, don’t let that stop you. Head over to the Paper Mama where you can make your very own snow monster tee. It’s pictured being worn by a child, but let your heart sore as you DIY an adult version! It seems simple, and the detailed instructions will have you wearing one to the office Christmas party this evening. Once again, it’s built mainly of felt, but the trend in snow monster designs lend itself to such resources.
via Dave Lowe Design
The Tooth
And last, but certainly not least, comes Dave Lowe. Lowe, a set designer, cartoonist, and illustrator has created a series of interesting artifacts that coincide with pop culture things he enjoyed as a child. He’s labeled them “The Cabinet of Curiosities”, and the most Christamasy of the bunch is a pretty swell to-scale abominable snow monster tooth. Plucked from the North Pole alongside the Artic Ocean, this thing is quite fantastic. It also comes with a discovery scroll paper detailing what was found alongside the bicuspid. How fantastic is this? I want one!
