My boys ages 6, 8, and 9 have used a similar technique with a gatorade bottle and dried beans. They make snowman paper weights each year for their teachers. A new sock over the gatorade bottle, a triangle of felt for the hat, google eyes, and pipecleaners glued on for nose and arms. Very easy to do and the kids love to pick the colors of felt for the hats and scarves as well as twisting the pipe cleaners. Never thought about it as a fall activity before....
This is great!