Winter Snowflakes

In Portland Oregon, where I live, Winter brings lots of dark rainy days. We "wish" for snow, but we're often disappointed. 

The few times it does snow, my kids make a snowball and stick it inside a ziploc bag.
We carefully write the date on the outside of the bag and place it into our freezer. I don't know why we do this really - maybe it will bring good luck? Maybe it will bring another snowstorm a little sooner? Who knows?

In the meantime, we've discovered the joy of cutting paper snowflakes to make our own snowstorm inside our home. It can become a little competitive...you know...who can cut the prettiest one? The most intricate one? The tiniest one? We hang our creations from a thread and dangle them from our ceilings. A little wonderland indoors.


When winter is over, we preserve our snowflakes between the pages of a book or magazine where they will wait to be revealed once again next year. Our collection is growing bigger and it's fun to see how our skills improve from year to year.

Did you know that in nature no two snowflakes are exactly alike? It's also true with hand-cut snowflakes too. Each one is unique and a true piece of art.


A favorite website is Snowdays by Popularfront.com Click Here. This site allows you to make virtual snowflakes and post them into an online snowstorm. It's an addictive form of entertainment but also a useful one because it allows you to see how various snips with scissors can make beautiful snowflake design. When your kids are home sick, fire up the computer and go to this website. I promise you'll feel better about letting them cut virtual snowflakes then playing video games or watching t.v. for hours on end.


And just in case you decide to have a little snowflake making competition of your own, you'll want to know the best way to fold the paper. It really does make a difference. Below is an excerpt taken from Martha Stewart's website (Click Here) that shows you how. Believe me, square-shaped paper snowflakes is the sign of a true amateur snowflake cutter!

Kids' Instructions: How to Make Paper Snowflakes
A few quick snips with the tip of your scissors is all it takes to create a beautiful, six-pointed snowflake. Start with a square piece of paper -- if you don't know how to make one, ask a grownup to help you.

 

Step 1: Fold the paper in half diagonally to make a triangle.

Step 2: Now, fold the triangle in half so the pointy corners meet.

 

Steps 3 and 4: Fold your triangle in thirds. You may need to adjust these folds a little to get the sides to match up, so don't crease the paper until the folds are just right.

  

Step 5: Cut across the bottom of your paper so it is straight.