How to Make Pipe Cleaner Snow

Whether you live in an area that is snow-challenged, or whether you just feel like enjoying a little winter weather any time of year, follow these steps to create gorgeous pipe cleaner snowflakes. These crystallized snowflakes are a great project to do with the kids and will make you feel as though you are surrounded by your very own fairytale winter wonderland.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• White pipe cleaners
• Scissors
• String
• Pen or pencil
• Decorative beads
• Hot glue gun
• Jar
• Borax
• Food coloring (optional)
• Silver hair spray

1. Bend 3 pipe cleaners in half and twist them together at their midpoints to create a large, six-pronged snowflake. For a miniature snowflake, use only one pipe cleaner and cut it into 3 sections.
2. Tie a piece of string around the six points, connecting them together and creating the outline of a snowflake. Tie another string around the point that will be the top of your snowflake and wrap it around the middle of your pen or pencil.
3. Use your hot glue gun to attach a large decorative bead in the center of the snowflake.
4. Boil some water then pour it into the jar. Take note of how much water you put into the jar.
5. Stir the borax into the water, adding it slowly as you stir. The ratio to use is 3 tablespoons of borax to one cup of water. Stir the mixture until it is mostly dissolved.
6. Submerge your snowflake into the borax-water mixture, letting the pen/pencil rest on the mouth of the jar. Make sure the snowflake is entirely covered by the water.
7. Allow the snowflake to sit in the jar overnight, and then pull it out and admire the crystals that have encased it.
8. Spray the finished snowflake with silver hair spray (found with costumes or at party stores) to give it a metallic glow. Hang your masterpiece as a tribute to the beauty of winter.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a little food coloring to the water if you want to have tinted snowflakes.
• Use these same guidelines to make Christmas tree ornaments: twist the pipe cleaners into the shape of a circle, Christmas tree or angel and attach a hook after it has crystallized.