Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Santa's getting ready to fly!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Icicle Ornaments From Plastic Bottles
Here's a really cute way to make icicles for the house or tree this year. Use old plastic bottles!
This tutorial is from Cut Out and Keep. Check out the site because there are several other versions of this tutorial there. Maybe one of them will work just for you!
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Make icicle ornaments from plastic bottles
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Materials needed:
-plastic bottle
-candle
-scissors
-knife
(I made 36 icicles out of 2 bottles, and I'm not counting those first few that I threw away because they were warped or burned)
This is so easy, I can't believe there is no instruction on it yet :)
I had this idea last year, when I saw those expensive glass icicles in stores, and wondered if they make plastic ones too (so they'd be catproof =^.^=).
End of the story is, I looked on ebay, found they were either ugly (opaque white plastic with gold glitter, anyone? or maybe yellow glow-in-the-dark???) or expensive (15€ for some cheap cast plastic?!), and decided to make my own :P
You can hang them on a tree, or make a garland out of them. They could look great on a wire chandelier as well, AND they make great hairsticks! I even made some tiny ones as earrings.
1. remove the top and the bottom of the bottle and get rid of the label.
2. cut the bottle in thin strips (about 1-1.5cm at the wider end) that taper at one end (the shape of most bottles will do that automatically! You'll only have to trim the end so it's really pointy). Don't worry about any patterns and bumps in the plastic, they'll be barely noticable at the end.
3. starting from the tapered end (leave a piece unheated so you can hold it), heat (HEAT not melt or burn) the strips over a candle while moving and twisting them.
You have to pull a bit on both sides so they don't get warped and crooked.
4. when you reach the end, keep pulling it straight until it cools.
5. OPTIONAL: now you can either cut the thin non-twisted spike at the thin end, or leave it there.
you can also cut the top (the wider end) of the icicle to a rounded shape.
6. heat a needle or nail over the candle and poke a hole through the top of the icicle.
7. put a piece of thread or wire through the hole, make a knot, and hang it somewhere :)
tips:
PRACTICE! the first ones I made were so ugly I had to throw them away ^^
You'll soon find out at which temperature the plastic gets soft but doesn't melt and drip yet.
The candle should not smoke or flicker excessively, and there should be no "burned plastic" smell eiter. If the candle produces smoke or soot you should trim the wick.
If you make larger icicles (like, from 2 liter bottles), i suggest that you stop at the middle and let it cool first. Then you can hold it better to start again, so you can twist them in a more controlled way. But this takes practice too, as you have to reheat the plastic evenly.
It helps a lot if you've worked with glass before.
if you make a lot of them and want to keep the threads from getting tangled while you store them during the rest of the year, you can hold them together with a rubber band.
This tutorial is from Cut Out and Keep. Check out the site because there are several other versions of this tutorial there. Maybe one of them will work just for you!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Make icicle ornaments from plastic bottles
------------------------------------------
Materials needed:
-plastic bottle
-candle
-scissors
-knife
(I made 36 icicles out of 2 bottles, and I'm not counting those first few that I threw away because they were warped or burned)
This is so easy, I can't believe there is no instruction on it yet :)
I had this idea last year, when I saw those expensive glass icicles in stores, and wondered if they make plastic ones too (so they'd be catproof =^.^=).
End of the story is, I looked on ebay, found they were either ugly (opaque white plastic with gold glitter, anyone? or maybe yellow glow-in-the-dark???) or expensive (15€ for some cheap cast plastic?!), and decided to make my own :P
You can hang them on a tree, or make a garland out of them. They could look great on a wire chandelier as well, AND they make great hairsticks! I even made some tiny ones as earrings.
1. remove the top and the bottom of the bottle and get rid of the label.
2. cut the bottle in thin strips (about 1-1.5cm at the wider end) that taper at one end (the shape of most bottles will do that automatically! You'll only have to trim the end so it's really pointy). Don't worry about any patterns and bumps in the plastic, they'll be barely noticable at the end.
3. starting from the tapered end (leave a piece unheated so you can hold it), heat (HEAT not melt or burn) the strips over a candle while moving and twisting them.
You have to pull a bit on both sides so they don't get warped and crooked.
4. when you reach the end, keep pulling it straight until it cools.
5. OPTIONAL: now you can either cut the thin non-twisted spike at the thin end, or leave it there.
you can also cut the top (the wider end) of the icicle to a rounded shape.
6. heat a needle or nail over the candle and poke a hole through the top of the icicle.
7. put a piece of thread or wire through the hole, make a knot, and hang it somewhere :)
tips:
PRACTICE! the first ones I made were so ugly I had to throw them away ^^
You'll soon find out at which temperature the plastic gets soft but doesn't melt and drip yet.
The candle should not smoke or flicker excessively, and there should be no "burned plastic" smell eiter. If the candle produces smoke or soot you should trim the wick.
If you make larger icicles (like, from 2 liter bottles), i suggest that you stop at the middle and let it cool first. Then you can hold it better to start again, so you can twist them in a more controlled way. But this takes practice too, as you have to reheat the plastic evenly.
It helps a lot if you've worked with glass before.
if you make a lot of them and want to keep the threads from getting tangled while you store them during the rest of the year, you can hold them together with a rubber band.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Time to enjoy the Christmas Lights!
Here are some videos of wonderful light shows this year for Christmas. I don't recommend trying this yourself, unless you have plenty of money and lots of time to work on it.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Easy Christmas Snowflake Ornaments to make in minutes!
Here's a quick and cute snowflake ornament you could probably make tonight with the kids and have them hanging on the tree. This really is a cute ornament and I think I will get me some supplies and start making these myself.
I found this on Craftster.com and you should hop over there to see all the other crafts they have for this holiday!
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happy holy-daze!
here's a little something to whip up for your tree (or to give away, or even assemble kits for).
you will need:
beads
beading wire or other fine gauge wire (i used 24 gauge)
wire snips
round nose pliers
1 cut 5 pieces of wire, each about 4-5 inches long.
2 holding them all together, tie a knot in the middle.
3 spread the wires out evenly around the knot.
4 slide your beads on one wire "arm", and finish with a spiral to hold the beads in place. repeat with the other arms, then attatch fishing line or wire to hang. how easy was that?
you could even get really crazy and tie a whole bunch of wires together and spread them out to be a 3-d starburst. or, as you can kind of see below, wrap the wires around something fun, like sea glass. or make really tiny ones for earrings! or make a bunch and hang them on a dead branch, like so:
I found this on Craftster.com and you should hop over there to see all the other crafts they have for this holiday!
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happy holy-daze!
here's a little something to whip up for your tree (or to give away, or even assemble kits for).
you will need:
beads
beading wire or other fine gauge wire (i used 24 gauge)
wire snips
round nose pliers
1 cut 5 pieces of wire, each about 4-5 inches long.
2 holding them all together, tie a knot in the middle.
3 spread the wires out evenly around the knot.
4 slide your beads on one wire "arm", and finish with a spiral to hold the beads in place. repeat with the other arms, then attatch fishing line or wire to hang. how easy was that?
you could even get really crazy and tie a whole bunch of wires together and spread them out to be a 3-d starburst. or, as you can kind of see below, wrap the wires around something fun, like sea glass. or make really tiny ones for earrings! or make a bunch and hang them on a dead branch, like so:
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Christmas Lights: The Ultimate Way to Decorate Your Home
Image via Wikipedia
Image via WikipediaChristmas lights; we have all seen them and most of us have used them before. When it comes to Christmas lights, we often associate those lights only with Christmas trees. While Christmas lights are most commonly used to decorate Christmas trees, did you know that they can also be used for much more? If you are planning on decorating this year, you should consider using your Christmas lights for decorating your entire home.Although many people only put lights on their Christmas tree, there are other uses for them as well. One of those uses is for decorating the outside of your home. You can easily find Christmas lights that are designed for outside use, particular around a home. These type of lights are often referred to as outdoor Christmas lights. One such type of light is the icicle Christmas lights that allow the lights to hang off the side of a house. While it is possible to find multicolored outdoor Christmas lights, you will find that they are most commonly sold in the traditional white color.
In addition to decorating the outside of the outside of your home with Christmas lights, you can also decorate the trees outside of your home. A number of homeowners, each year, decorate the trees outside their home, often exactly like their indoor Christmas tress. Many times, these trees are relatively small in size; therefore, small outdoor Christmas lights are needed on an outdoor tree. Decorating the small trees in your yard is a great way to bring a touch of Christmas to your neighborhood.
Some people like to hang Christmas lights along the top of their walls. This is a great way to bring extra Christmas spirit into the home. In fact, you can even use Christmas lights to decorate one of your home’s bedroom windows. This idea is often loved by teenagers and other children; many enjoy the twinkling lights and colors. Decorating your home’s bedroom windows is a great way to bring the Christmas spirit into a room that you may have otherwise not decorated.
You may also want to decorate your office or your workspace. Unfortunately, not everyone celebrates Christmas. This may pose a problem, when it comes to decorating your office workspace. However, you can still, in many cases, use Christmas lights to decorate your office. In most cases, you will find that it is the decorations that scream Christmas that cause the problems, not the lights themselves. Therefore, if you supervisors approve, you could easily hang Christmas lights around your office walls or along the sides of your work desk.
Isn’t it amazing all of the different ways that you can use Christmas lights to decorate your home or even your office? It really is amazing how just the addition of those colorful, twinkling lights can add so much spirit to your holiday cheer.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Black Friday DealsBlack Friday is here and are you ready?
Here in the USA, the day after Thanksgiving is known as "Black Friday" due to all the special sales and the stores opening at midnight for shoppers. It seems pretty silly, but there are many wonderful bargains to be found if you are willing to camp out in line and be one of the first shoppers to get into the store.
I understand that stores need to make a profit for our economy to improve, but I don't like "bait and switch" tactics very much. I think it is dishonest. So, I choose to shop online during the year and by Black Friday I have all my Christmas done. It is just my way of dealing with this holiday. You are more than welcome to deal with the stress, crowds, etc. I simply don't wish to do so.
I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoys the food and family time that this holiday stands for.
I hate crowds, so I prefer to shop all year long--monitoring sales for items that may be appropriate as Christmas presents. I also prefer shopping online to going to stores. This is just my preferences. More and more people are getting into the spirit of Black Friday shopping. For months before this day, you can receive emails and circulars telling you about the wonderful "bargains" and "sales" to be found on this day. What they don't tell you is that there is a very limited quantity of these items and if you are not the lucky few, you will probably end up spending more money buying similar items that are not on sale. This is the ploy of all the commercial sellers on this day.
I understand that stores need to make a profit for our economy to improve, but I don't like "bait and switch" tactics very much. I think it is dishonest. So, I choose to shop online during the year and by Black Friday I have all my Christmas done. It is just my way of dealing with this holiday. You are more than welcome to deal with the stress, crowds, etc. I simply don't wish to do so.
I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoys the food and family time that this holiday stands for.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
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What Are the Hot Gifts for Christmas This Year?
By Shirley K Williams
This year for Christmas you will need to use care in spending your hard earned money on gifts. It is very important that you choose wisely, ending up with the perfect gift without spending a fortune. Christmas is almost upon us, so now is the time to start thinking about what you want to get for your loved ones. Gift giving is always a challenge, but with the economy the way it is today and so many people out of work, this year proves to be a serious challenge.
I've reviewed quite a few sites online this year all touting the "Hot" gifts for 2011. There are some things that remain constant, such as the allure of the gadgets and our love of technology. Some of the really hot items this year will be the same as last year- iPads, iPods, cell phones, game systems, televisions, etc. You will never go wrong buying these items as gifts, but they usually come with a very large purchase price.
Maybe you need to step back a bit and look at other types of gifts. If your gift receiver loves to read and loves books, maybe a Kindle would be a good gift. If your receiver loves photography and video, maybe a hand-held video camera or a digital SLR camera would do. If the receiver drives an older car and gets lost frequently, maybe a GPS system that can be mounted on the dash.The easiest way to buy for someone is to learn about what that person enjoys or likes to do in their spare moments. Usually, these activities help to relieve stress and keep them centered. Hobbies have long been an outlet for us as life gets chaotic and stressful. Look to these outlets for clues about what to spend your time and money on. I guarantee you will be glad you did.
Then there are the old stand-by's that have always been good for gift buying. Jewelry and personal care gifts are always appreciated and used. Children have always enjoyed games and toys.This year, you should look to video games like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Halo Reach. These games will be coming out soon and many young boys will be excited to receive their own games. My Pillow Pets are still very popular with the younger children and may become hard to find if you wait too long. Lego board games are popular with school age children as are the original Lego's. Action figures will always be popular with young boys, so look at those as an option.
Young adults will always enjoy tickets to must-see movies, sporting events, and concerts of favorite bands. This is a gift that will be appreciated and remembered for some time. You will become the best gift giver of the year. Start checking your area now for possible events that you could purchase tickets for.
Tablet computers are all the rage right now and if you can swing such a purchase, I know you will be rewarded with squeals of delight from the receiver. iPads are expensive, but there are several tablet computers on the market now that are just are good and that cost less. Explore these for ideas.There are many choices out there this year so you will be on the money if you take your time, start early, and really think about the likes and dislikes of the receiver. With just a little thought and some extra time, this Christmas may turn out to be the best ever. Even with money being tight, you stand a chance of being the best gift-giver this year!
Christmas is always stressful, and this year will prove to be just the same. You can get a head start if you plan now and start your shopping early. Be sure to check online for ratings and availability of items that are beginning to fly off the shelves. If you start now, you may even get your shopping done online and never have to fight the crowds.
For more ideas and information about Christmas, please visit my blog. For gift ideas please visit
Christmas is coming too soon. Here's my wish for you to have a very merry Christmas 2011.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Black Friday Specials are starting to be announced!
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeJust got this in my email and wanted to share it with you here. Posted: the Kmart Toy Book
It's official...The holiday season is starting! We got our hands on a copy of the Kmart Toy Book and posted it on our website right away. There are 64 pages of toys, with sale prices available both in-store and online. The sale begins on Sunday, October 30th and continues until Wednesday, November 23rd. The Toy Book is packed with popular toys like Bratz dolls, Transformers action figures, Dora the Explorer, Elmo, and many more.
Some of the highlights of the Kmart Toy Book are:- $10 off the LeapFrog Leapster Explorer ($59.99)
- $5 off Justin Bieber Singing Doll ($19.99)
- Furreal Friends Cookie, My Playful Pup for $44.99 with coupon
- Free Nerf Ammo 16-pack with purchase of any Nerf Blaster (in-store only)
We're just getting warmed up. We can't wait to see which ads and sales break next...
Thanks for reading!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Make a Pyramid Box
Carol Duvall had an episode during Christmas where her guest, Mary O'Neil made beautiful pyramid boxes to use for Christmas gift. These are perfect for small, expensive gifts, especially if you use Acetate Velvet and emboss the box. Mary used double sided sticky interfacing to attach the velvet to her box template and then finished it off with a beautiful organza bow. Almost too pretty to open!
I found this tutorial for making the pyramid boxes, and I looked but could not find the episode of Carol Duvall anywhere online. This is from Things to Make and Do and you can use your imagination to design and decorate your own boxes.
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This is an unusual box that can be used for small or large gifts. There are three downloadable templates to choose from, a large template or two small templates that will fit on a sheet of A4 card, and one small template that fits on a sheet of A5 card. There are two sets of templates for each size, one with the dotted fold lines on (this is great to practice on with a sheet of paper, or if children are making the box), and one with no dotted fold lines (these are harder to use but give a more professional finish). These boxes are easy to make with no gluing required and can be used for a variety of gift ideas including favours at a wedding or for small gifts hanging from a Christmas tree. The larger pyramid measures nearly 8 cm across the base and 4½ cm high, the small pyramid base is 5¼ cm wide and 3 cm high.
1. Download the template onto card, or onto paper and trace the design onto card. Remember there are two sets of templates for each size, one with the dotted fold lines (this is great to practice on with a sheet of paper, or if children are making the box), and one with no dotted fold lines (these are harder to use but give a more professional finish).
3. Score the fold lines using either a craft knife or bone folder and ruler, if you are using a craft knife, do not cut through the card. The scoring is just to help the card to fold.
4. Punch a hole where marked near the top of each triangle.
5. Fold over the sides and narrow flaps, pressing with your finger to make crisp folds.
6. Put the small gift into the box and close the top of the pyramid with ribbon. Take a ribbon end and thread it through the punched holes. Start by threading from the front of one hole into the box then through the next hole from inside to outside the box, go into the third hole from the outside and then thread through the last hole from the inside to the outside. Tie the two ribbon ends together with a slip knot and finish with a bow.
7. If you need to make a loop to hang the pyramid up by (Christmas tree decoration) then after threading the ribbon through all four holes and tying the ends together with a slip knot, thread the ribbon back through the box, under the ribbon making a loop, tie another slip knot and finish off with a bow, this can be a little tricky so another pair of hands may come in handy. Or, after tying a bow to close the top, thread a separate piece of ribbon through and tie a knot to make a loop.
I found this tutorial for making the pyramid boxes, and I looked but could not find the episode of Carol Duvall anywhere online. This is from Things to Make and Do and you can use your imagination to design and decorate your own boxes.
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This is an unusual box that can be used for small or large gifts. There are three downloadable templates to choose from, a large template or two small templates that will fit on a sheet of A4 card, and one small template that fits on a sheet of A5 card. There are two sets of templates for each size, one with the dotted fold lines on (this is great to practice on with a sheet of paper, or if children are making the box), and one with no dotted fold lines (these are harder to use but give a more professional finish). These boxes are easy to make with no gluing required and can be used for a variety of gift ideas including favours at a wedding or for small gifts hanging from a Christmas tree. The larger pyramid measures nearly 8 cm across the base and 4½ cm high, the small pyramid base is 5¼ cm wide and 3 cm high.
You will need:
A4 or A5 card
Scissors
Craft knife or bone folder
Ruler
Hole punch
Ribbon
Scissors
Craft knife or bone folder
Ruler
Hole punch
Ribbon
What to do
1. Download the template onto card, or onto paper and trace the design onto card. Remember there are two sets of templates for each size, one with the dotted fold lines (this is great to practice on with a sheet of paper, or if children are making the box), and one with no dotted fold lines (these are harder to use but give a more professional finish).
Download Large Pyramid Box Template
Download Large Pyramid Top Template without dotted lines
Download single small Pyramid Box A5 Template
Download single small Pyramid Box A5 Template without dotted lines
Download two small Pyramid Boxes A4 Template
Download two small Pyramid Boxes A4 Template without dotted lines
2. Cut out the template.Download Large Pyramid Top Template without dotted lines
Download single small Pyramid Box A5 Template
Download single small Pyramid Box A5 Template without dotted lines
Download two small Pyramid Boxes A4 Template
Download two small Pyramid Boxes A4 Template without dotted lines
3. Score the fold lines using either a craft knife or bone folder and ruler, if you are using a craft knife, do not cut through the card. The scoring is just to help the card to fold.
4. Punch a hole where marked near the top of each triangle.
5. Fold over the sides and narrow flaps, pressing with your finger to make crisp folds.
6. Put the small gift into the box and close the top of the pyramid with ribbon. Take a ribbon end and thread it through the punched holes. Start by threading from the front of one hole into the box then through the next hole from inside to outside the box, go into the third hole from the outside and then thread through the last hole from the inside to the outside. Tie the two ribbon ends together with a slip knot and finish with a bow.
7. If you need to make a loop to hang the pyramid up by (Christmas tree decoration) then after threading the ribbon through all four holes and tying the ends together with a slip knot, thread the ribbon back through the box, under the ribbon making a loop, tie another slip knot and finish off with a bow, this can be a little tricky so another pair of hands may come in handy. Or, after tying a bow to close the top, thread a separate piece of ribbon through and tie a knot to make a loop.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Quilled Snowflake Ornament
Here is a spectacularly beautiful handmade Christmas ornament tutorial for you to make this year. This is from Reese Dixon, and I want to thank her for the instructions. I cannot wait to try this out.
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I’ve made a ton of these over the years and they never fail to elicit oohs and aahs. This is a perfect application for quilling. Snowflakes are best when they’re all scroll-y and complicated, and that’s when quilling is at its best too. You just need to remember that it’s only rolled up paper, and break it down to each little piece.
Cut a bunch of 1/4″ strips from a piece of 12 x 12 cardstock. I like using an icy blue color, but a true white looks great too. You can make your strips thicker if you want and it will work just great. They’ll look a little more substantial against the tree or on a package and they’ll be a little more sturdy. I happen to like the lacey look of the thinner strips and find them to be sturdy enough.
From those thin strips, here’s what you need to cut
1 – 6″ strip for the center round
8 – 3″ strips for the arms
4 – 6″ strips for the scrolls
4 – 3″ strips for the teardrop
4 – 2″ strips for the marquis
You’ll need some kind of a quilling tool, which you can find at Michael’s in the stamping aisle, or you can just make your own by cutting the top off of a needle with a pair of tin snips or wire cutters.
Insert the paper strip into the notch of the quilling tool, bring the tool to the very end of the paper, and begin rolling.
Let’s start with the 6″ center round. Once you master making the round, you can make any other shape. And it’s even easier than it sounds. Roll it all the way up, and then let it go so that it relaxes into a more loosely wound circle.
Spread a little glue on the tail end, and glue it down. Typically when you quill, you’d tear the very tip off before you glue down the other end. That feathery torn edge blends into the rest of the shape, where a cut end will form a definite ridge. Here, you won’t notice any ridge so it’s not worth the extra step.
The Round shape also provides a basis for the teardrop shape and the marquis.
For the teardrop shape, you’ll take one side of a round made from one of the 3″ strips and pinch it to create a point. Since we haven’t bothered to blend our ends in, I try to line up that ridge with the point at the top of the teardrop to disguise it.
The marquis is made the exact same way. Make a Round out of a 2″ strip, glue the end in place, and pinch both ends to create two points.
Next let’s make the scrolls. Fold a 6″ strip in half and roll each end up to that halfway point. As is this is a heart shape. Typically a scroll isn’t folded, but it helps to have a measuring point and we’ll be gluing that point down anyway, so it won’t show.
Sorry about the blurry pictures. I really needed a macro lens for this project.
The last piece is for the arms, made out of a 3″ strip. On one end of the strip, roll in about twice.
On the other end, roll in until the piece measures roughly 1″. Measurements are really loose here. The only thing that matters is that they’re all about the same height. Whether that height is a fraction of an inch taller or shorter doesn’t matter at all.
That’s it. You’ve made all your pieces. The rest is just putting it together. Start by taking 2 of the arms and glue them together back to back. With that step complete you should have:
1 Round
4 Teardrops
4 Marquis
4 Scrolls
4 Arm Pieces
Start with the Round piece. This will be the center. Next come the arm pieces. Bump the edges of those bottom loops up next to each other, and glue each piece down to the round.
Now take a scroll and glue it onto those little loops you bumped together.
Gently pull the scroll out until it touches the arms, and glue them together where they meet.
Take one of your teardrops and glue it down in the middle of the scroll. Then pull the scrolls over to meet the teardrop, and glue together. Don’t be afraid to unravel the scroll however much you need to. If the arm is bending or it doesn’t want to stick to the teardrop, you just need to give yourself a little more space.
Repeat these steps for all sides, and then glue the marquis in the little space between the loops at the top of the arms.
For the snowflakes on my tree, I sprayed the finished snowflake with a spray adhesive and doused it in glitter. I tried a liquid glue first, but it tended to make all the loops unwind. Then I threaded a loop of fishing line through one of the marquis to hang the ornament. I liked the idea of using fishing line so it would look like the snowflakes were falling instead of hanging.
These couldn’t be cheaper. You can nearly get 10 ornaments out of one sheet of paper, and they’re incredibly easy to make up in big batches. Last year I needed to make ornaments for 35 teenagers, and these were the ones I went for. A definite budget saver, and still super fancy.
In making this tutorial, I ended up making another ornament that needs a home. Leave me a comment for a chance to win it! Blogger sucks for communication, so make sure you have an active profile, a link to your website, or an email address listed in the comment so I can contact you if you win. I’ll draw a winner randomly at 10pm Pacific Time on Friday December 12th. That’s actually Bear’s birthday, so we’ll call this a celebration of him. Good luck!
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December 10, 2008
Today I have a big fat tutorial to share with you. It looks really really scary and detailed, but it’s not so bad. Trust me. I’ll hold your hand through the whole thing.I’ve made a ton of these over the years and they never fail to elicit oohs and aahs. This is a perfect application for quilling. Snowflakes are best when they’re all scroll-y and complicated, and that’s when quilling is at its best too. You just need to remember that it’s only rolled up paper, and break it down to each little piece.
Cut a bunch of 1/4″ strips from a piece of 12 x 12 cardstock. I like using an icy blue color, but a true white looks great too. You can make your strips thicker if you want and it will work just great. They’ll look a little more substantial against the tree or on a package and they’ll be a little more sturdy. I happen to like the lacey look of the thinner strips and find them to be sturdy enough.
From those thin strips, here’s what you need to cut
1 – 6″ strip for the center round
8 – 3″ strips for the arms
4 – 6″ strips for the scrolls
4 – 3″ strips for the teardrop
4 – 2″ strips for the marquis
You’ll need some kind of a quilling tool, which you can find at Michael’s in the stamping aisle, or you can just make your own by cutting the top off of a needle with a pair of tin snips or wire cutters.
Insert the paper strip into the notch of the quilling tool, bring the tool to the very end of the paper, and begin rolling.
Let’s start with the 6″ center round. Once you master making the round, you can make any other shape. And it’s even easier than it sounds. Roll it all the way up, and then let it go so that it relaxes into a more loosely wound circle.
Spread a little glue on the tail end, and glue it down. Typically when you quill, you’d tear the very tip off before you glue down the other end. That feathery torn edge blends into the rest of the shape, where a cut end will form a definite ridge. Here, you won’t notice any ridge so it’s not worth the extra step.
The Round shape also provides a basis for the teardrop shape and the marquis.
For the teardrop shape, you’ll take one side of a round made from one of the 3″ strips and pinch it to create a point. Since we haven’t bothered to blend our ends in, I try to line up that ridge with the point at the top of the teardrop to disguise it.
The marquis is made the exact same way. Make a Round out of a 2″ strip, glue the end in place, and pinch both ends to create two points.
Next let’s make the scrolls. Fold a 6″ strip in half and roll each end up to that halfway point. As is this is a heart shape. Typically a scroll isn’t folded, but it helps to have a measuring point and we’ll be gluing that point down anyway, so it won’t show.
Sorry about the blurry pictures. I really needed a macro lens for this project.
The last piece is for the arms, made out of a 3″ strip. On one end of the strip, roll in about twice.
On the other end, roll in until the piece measures roughly 1″. Measurements are really loose here. The only thing that matters is that they’re all about the same height. Whether that height is a fraction of an inch taller or shorter doesn’t matter at all.
That’s it. You’ve made all your pieces. The rest is just putting it together. Start by taking 2 of the arms and glue them together back to back. With that step complete you should have:
1 Round
4 Teardrops
4 Marquis
4 Scrolls
4 Arm Pieces
Start with the Round piece. This will be the center. Next come the arm pieces. Bump the edges of those bottom loops up next to each other, and glue each piece down to the round.
Now take a scroll and glue it onto those little loops you bumped together.
Gently pull the scroll out until it touches the arms, and glue them together where they meet.
Take one of your teardrops and glue it down in the middle of the scroll. Then pull the scrolls over to meet the teardrop, and glue together. Don’t be afraid to unravel the scroll however much you need to. If the arm is bending or it doesn’t want to stick to the teardrop, you just need to give yourself a little more space.
Repeat these steps for all sides, and then glue the marquis in the little space between the loops at the top of the arms.
For the snowflakes on my tree, I sprayed the finished snowflake with a spray adhesive and doused it in glitter. I tried a liquid glue first, but it tended to make all the loops unwind. Then I threaded a loop of fishing line through one of the marquis to hang the ornament. I liked the idea of using fishing line so it would look like the snowflakes were falling instead of hanging.
These couldn’t be cheaper. You can nearly get 10 ornaments out of one sheet of paper, and they’re incredibly easy to make up in big batches. Last year I needed to make ornaments for 35 teenagers, and these were the ones I went for. A definite budget saver, and still super fancy.
In making this tutorial, I ended up making another ornament that needs a home. Leave me a comment for a chance to win it! Blogger sucks for communication, so make sure you have an active profile, a link to your website, or an email address listed in the comment so I can contact you if you win. I’ll draw a winner randomly at 10pm Pacific Time on Friday December 12th. That’s actually Bear’s birthday, so we’ll call this a celebration of him. Good luck!
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