Tis the Season for Snowflakes and Sparkle
Hello again! I’m not sure where November went but between a landslide of projects at work and also here at home, my blog time took quite a hit. So, let’s see if I can’t get us back on track.
Today I have a sparkly snowflake project that you can do with the kids and deck the halls while you are at it! These aren’t original to me, but I thought they would make a good project since the supplies needed are really easy to find and pretty inexpensive too. Also, the options are pretty much endless as far as potential designs so let your imagination run wild and see what you come up with.
It all begins with a paper tube (or three)
I’ve been gathering TP tubes for months now in preparation of this project. Now, the season and the time is right to share it with you . I used three tubes for the two snowflakes I am going to show you but once you get going on these you might not want to stop. Of course you will need to save up on the tubes but how hard is that?!
Supply List:
- Toilet Paper or Paper Towel tubes
- Acrylic paint
- Foam brush
- Scissors
- White glue or hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Glitter
- Small tray or paper plate
- Ribbon or cord
- Parchment or wax paper for drying
Step 1: Paint the tubes. I used white acrylic paint but you can use any color you want. I started these by cutting the tubes into the slices and painting each one individually, but quickly discovered that was not the way to go for that part of the project. Mostly because it took longer and was messier. I think I had just as much paint on my fingers as there was on the tubes. So, just paint the entire tube at one time (inside and out) and let them dry completely
Slice, Arrange and Glue
Step 2: The next step is to cut your tubes into slices that are approximately 3/8 – 1/2 inch wide. I just eyeballed it, but you do want them to be as close to the same width as possible so that when you get to the glitter dipping part the two sides are relatively flat.
Step 3: Count out however many slices you will need for your design and arrange them into the pattern you would like. I used 12 slices for the first snowflake and 18 for the second, but you can use however many you would like. Also, try different folds to create different configurations. Once you get going you’ll likely discover any number of different combinations!
Step 4: Start gluing the slices together. For the first snowflake, I flattened and stacked six slices together and added a dot of hot glue near the end of each one then fanned all six out and glued the first to the last. For the second snowflake, I flattened and folded six slices in half and then glued them to the inside of six more slices. Then I glued the inside points together to form the main piece. The last six pieces were flattened and folded in on one end about a third of the way down. I tucked the center point of the folded end in and then glued the opposite end in between the other points. And just like that…you have two different snowflakes!
It’s glitter time!
Step 5: Once you have all of the pieces glued together, it’s time for the glitter. I used a chunkier glitter that I found at Michaels. I used Mod Podge and a foam brush to lightly dab it onto the edges of the snowflake. Another option is to pour a thin pool of glue onto a large paper plate and lightly dip each side of the snowflake into it. Some supervision is recommended if you are doing this with younger kids.
Next comes the glitter! In a shallow tray big enough for your snowflakes, or a paper plate, pour out a layer of glitter. Dip each side of the snowflake in the glitter and then set aside to dry on a sheet of parchment or wax paper.
Step 6: Add a length of cord or ribbon to hang your snowflake on the Christmas tree or hang them in a window. They also make good additions to packages or as decorations on your table.
And, that’s a wrap! Super easy, glittery fun just in time for holiday decorating. Be sure to stop by again Friday too. I’ll be debuting a brand new gift set that features a limited edition Peppermint scented candle, cozy re-usable hand warmers, and two Heartland cup cozies in holiday red!
