DIY Snowflake Wreaths

Create a wreath using as many or few snowflakes as you desire.

Whether it is cutting paper snowflakes or designing beaded snowflakes, each family member can leave his own mark on your winter decorations. Gather the family around the kitchen table and create a blizzard’s worth of snowflakes. Instead of hanging them from the ceiling or placing them in the window, put them together as a wreath. The wreath can hang on your door or above your mantel as a frosty accent to your winter holiday decor. If you pack the wreath carefully in tissue paper, it will store until the next holiday.

Things You'll Need

• Origami paper squares
• Scissors
• Color beads
• Snowflake wire form
• Masking tape
• Round-nose pliers
• Wire or foam wreath form
• Spray paint
• Push pins, pearl or rhinestone
• Hot glue gun
• Acrylic glue
• Wire
• Hairpins

Instructions

Paper Snowflake

1. Fold the top left corner of the paper square to meet the bottom right corner, forming a triangle. Fold the triangle in half to make a smaller triangle.

2. Turn the triangle so that the point is away from you. Fold the triangle into thirds, bringing the left edge toward the right side and folding the right side over. Both outer corners of the triangle will now be protruding below the base of the triangle.

3. Remove the protruding points by cutting them even with the base of the triangle.

4. Cut along all three sides of this final triangle in straight or curving lines to create the holes for your snowflake pattern. Experiment with different shapes and sizes to make each snowflake unique.

5. Unfold the paper carefully to reveal your snowflake.

Beaded Snowflake

1. Choose beads in silver, gold, blue and clear. If you want to create more fantastical snowflakes, choose bright colors.

2. Pour each type of bead into a different bowl for easy visibility and access.

3. Lay the snowflake wire form on the work surface.

4. Thread beads to one leg of the snowflake. Use any pattern you want. Leave approximately 1/4 inch of exposed wire at the end of the leg to bend and secure later.

5. Repeat the bead pattern on the first leg for all six legs. Alternatively, you can repeat the pattern for every other leg and then create a different pattern to repeat across the remaining legs.

6. Tape the ends of the legs with masking tape and lift your snowflake to inspect your pattern. If you like it, proceed to the next step. If not, remove the tape and make adjustments as desired.

7. Remove the tape from one wire end and use round-nose pliers to bend the end into a tight loop, securing the beds to the wire form. Repeat for all legs of the snowflake.

Assemble Wreath

1. Choose a wire or foam wreath form. If you are using beaded snowflakes, a wire form will allow light to enter the beads from either side, enhancing their sparkle.

2. Spray paint the form silver, white or gold to provide a base for the snowflakes.

3. Press pearl or rhinestone-tipped pins through paper snowflakes to attach them to a foam wreath, or glue them to a wire form with hot glue or acrylic glue. Use twists of wire to secure beaded snowflakes to wire forms.

4. Overlap snowflakes or lay them in end to end to create a design as full or minimalistic as you want.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want the look of paper but the durability of a beaded snowflake, use white felt instead of paper. Fold and cut the felt the same way as a paper snowflake. Coat both sides in white glue and allow them to dry before attaching to a wreath.

References

• Martha Stewart: How to Make Paper Snowflakes -- Create a Blizzard's Worth of Snowflakes
• Beading Daily: Easy Beaded Snowflakes

Resources

• Cut Out and Keep: Beautiful Paper Snowflake
• Martha Stewart: Snowflake Decorations