Snowflake Tutorial

Hi everyone!
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I love hearing from you.  I hope you are getting your questions answered here, or in the comments.  I had so many inquiries about how to do snowflakes, that here is a quick lesson. We use just regular white computer paper.  Start with a square.  You can do any size, but larger is easier to start with.

 

 Fold the square in half diagonally to make a triangle.  

Fold the triangle in half again, and just crease a little bit to mark the center.

 Open the  triangle back up so you can see the center crease.

 

 Starting from that center crease, fold in thirds.  This may take some adjusting.

 Fold the second third over, and adjust so that all the edges meet.

 Fold in half.

Cut the top points off so that you have 6 points inside.  If you cut straight across, you will have more of a circle.  The more slanted you cut, the pointier your snowflake will be.  

 Cut various shapes from both sides of the folded triangle, but don't cut all the way from one side to the other.

 Open it up, and it's a snowflake!

 Here's a few of us cutting.

After we open the snowflakes up, I take them to the ironing board, and lightly spray with spray starch, then press with a hot iron.  The starch helps to give them a little stiffness, and hold together better.  Don't get them too wet, and don't slide your iron, just press it down, lift and press.  Keep it there long enough to dry the starch.

 And here is what we cut.  So many different styles and sizes,  just like real snowflakes!

 Make some curvy,

,

 Some more pointy,

Some more round. 

Now for the hanging part.  We haven't gotten to that yet, so I don't have photo, but I can tell you what I do.  I tie a monofilament thread to each snowflake.  Use various lengths.  Stick it through one of the cut out holes, and tie it in several knots.  Attach to the ceiling with small pieces of scotch tape.  I used to use poster tack, that putty-like stuff that holds posters on the wall.  It works great if you can find the color that matches your ceiling.  (I haven't been able to find the right color lately, so I am stuck with  scotch tape--literally.)  

Hang them all together for impact.  I usually pick just one room to cover in snowflakes.  That makes it really special.  (You can also spray them with glitter, if you like, but that leads to "sparklies" all over everything. )

I will post a photo after we get them all hung up.  Well, now that was easy, wasn't it!  By the way, that's how I made the pattern for the Snowdrift Stocking.  (Downloadable here)  You could make your own snowflake pattern, or make each stocking different!

Today is the 5th day of our Holiday Project Parade.  Collect all those special words!  Today you will want to go see:

Chelsea Andersen of Pink Fig Patterns 

                                                  

and Brenda Pinnick of Brenda Pinnick Designs.

I don't know either one of these gals personally, but I have been looking at all their designs, and they certainly are talented!  I can't wait to see their projects. 

I have had so much fun so far on this Parade!  Isn't it fun to get to know so many designers and see all their good ideas!  Keep hopping, and we will talk again tomorrow.