By Samantha

Do you remember making paper snowflakes in school? You would start out with a single sheet of rounded paper and fold it many times. Once folded, you’d break out the scissors and start your design phase. When you were done, it came out with that perfect hexagonal symmetry that is typical of snowflakes.

If you have never ‘caught’ and observed a snowflake, then this hexagonal shape may be confusing. Truth: When you watch the snow fall in a flurry, they all look like little dots on the wind or big balls of fluff. There is no real dimension to them because they are too small and usually falling too fast to get a direct look. Once the snowflakes hit the ground, they conform to the layer of built up snow and release any shape they could have had.

Try going out one day when the temperature is below freezing, properly clothed of course, and catch a snowflake. Before it melts to the temperature of your hand, you will be able to see the shape that it has. They are not as much like round balls as we might have thought.

Now that that is out of the way, let’s talk about your decorations for this lovely festive season. You have picked through those in storage and thought about going to the store to buy more. All of this is good. But, perhaps you should wait on buying anything like snowflakes. Everyone knows that having a hand-made craft as a decoration is much better than something store bought.

Our video will show you that there are plenty of ways you can turn little household items into a perfectly symmetrical snowflake. Items such as lollipop sticks, Popsicle sticks, Q-tips or even cotton balls if you want to stretch them out to be long enough. Remember how many things we used to make out of Popsicle sticks? Bird houses, tiny forts and ladders, and the occasional Barbie sized fence to keep the herd in place.

Thanks to modern marketing, our kids don’t get to experience this as much as we might like. It was fun to see what could happen with some glue and a few wooden sticks. Plus, we had to use our imagination to create it. That aspect is important to pass on through the generations. To get back on track, you can give your kids or students that experience and use it as your seasonal decorations!

Size is not an issue as none of the items used in the craft are very heavy. The snowflakes can be held up by thumb tacks or tape if hanging them on the wall. Add a little silver glitter to them, punch a hole in the paper and string them from the ceiling. Your house will have the same glistening aspect as actual snow when the rays of sunlight shine on it. It will give that extra piece for everyone to enjoy when the lights hit them just right.