Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Warren County Career Center welding student Gracelyn Freehling stands with her snowwoman among the snowman and reindeer decorations made by her classmates.

Taking art projects home from school is a long-standing tradition.

But, that usually tails off after the elementary years.

Students in the Warren County Career Center welding program are reviving that tradition.

Students are required to show their skills and creativity in a semester-end project that they can then take home and share or give as a gift.

Students used materials available in the shop and skills they’ve developed in the program to create decorations. There were snowmen and a snowwoman, reindeer, and others.

“We have a Christmas project every year,” Teacher Nate McNett said. “They can make whatever they want.”

The projects have to incorporate “several processes” students learn in the class, as well as follow the procedures and safety rules set in the class, he said. “It’s important to me that the students be able to take home something that they made here.”

First-year welding student Gracelyn Freehling made a metal snowman.

“I wanted to make a decoration for my mom,” she said. “She said she wanted a snowman.”

Freehling wanted her snowman to have a traditional Frosty feel.

“I wanted to go with a coal mouth and eyes and a pointier, carrot nose,” she said.

The carrot started out as a bolt and nut. “I used a torch to get it hot and pounded it down to make it into a cone,” she said.

There is even a flower on the snowman’s old, silk hat — which, like the rest of this project, is made of metal.

Freehling used mig welding – in which a wire provides the material that melts and holds pieces together. She ground off areas where the welds needed to appear smooth.

“There are different types of electrode welding,” she said. “Some prefer electrode welding to other types of welding. Mig is one of my go-tos.”

She also used mig welding for the mouth, eyes, flower, and buttons — leaving circles for the coal or drawing lines for the flower.

The project took longer than expected — two to three weeks, she said. “Sometimes the mouth got a little droopy. I didn’t like it. It had to be perfect.”

She estimated she had to reform the mouth six times.

There weren’t pig-tails on the snowwoman on Tuesday, but those were a possibility.

Freehling’s snow arms were different from many of the other students’ details. “For the arms, I took three pieces of filler wire and used a drill to twist them up,” she said.

She was pleased with her snowman and expects it will be on display on the front porch or on a side table this winter.

“I like mine,” Freehling said. “Mine’s a little different than all of the other ones. I like that. It’s unique.”