Art Works! is a series of blog posts created by the staff at www.EscapadeDirect.com that offer children of all ages and abilities the opportunity for hands-on art activities that allow them to explore, discover, and express their individual creativity.

We encourage parents to join in on the activities, too, and create their own Art Works!

Art Works! Activity #16: Snowflakes

We took two weeks off from our Art Works! series, but we’re making it up with several fun snowflake activities. Create works of art that celebrate the season!

These hands-on activities inspire creativity, and are easy for children of all ages to do.

Snowflake Window Clings

What You Need:

• Pencil


• White Paper


• Large Glass Baking Dish


• Glitter Glue (see below to make your own)

What You Do:

• Create a snowflake template by drawing a simple snowflake onto a sheet of paper.


• Place the snowflake template beneath a large clear glass baking dish.


• Use glitter glue to trace over your pencil lines, applying the glue directly to the glass dish. You’ll want to make sure the glue is applied in fairly thick lines to ensure the snowflake won’t fall apart when it is dry. Remember that as the glue dries, it will shrink. We recommend making your lines at least 1/8″ thick.


• Repeat the above steps to create as many snowflakes as you’d like. Vary the size of the snowflakes, and use different colored glitter glue if desired.


• Allow your snowflakes to dry thoroughly before removing from the glass. We recommend you let the snowflakes dry for at least 12 hours (24 hours is even better).


• When the snowflakes appear dry, carefully peel them from the glass dish. If the bottom of the snowflakes are still wet, simply lay the snowflakes back down until they are completely dry.


• Press your completed snowflakes onto window glass for a wintery decoration.

Variations:

• If you prefer, hang your snowflakes in a window with a length of fishing line.


• If you would like to make your own glitter glue, pour white glue into a squeeze bottle container then add several teaspoons of fine glitter to the glue. Use a craft stick to mix the glitter into the glue. Add more glitter if needed. Place the top back on the squeeze bottle and your glitter glue is ready to use.


• If you do not have glitter or glitter glue, regular white glue works well and makes nice white snowflakes.

Paper Snowflakes

What You Need:

• Paper (thin copy machine paper works very well)


• Sharp Scissors (blunt scissors that are sharp work well for young children)


• Paper Folding Instructions

What You Do:

• Fold a sheet of paper to create a snowflake preform. See our paper folding instructions for more information.


• Use a sharp scissors (pointed or blunt) to cut out various shapes from the folded paper. Be creative!


• Unfold your paper to reveal a unique snowflake!


• Tape snowflakes to your windows for wintery fun decorations.

Variations:

• Use new coffee filters instead of paper to make your snowflakes. When the snowflakes are cut out, decorate the edges of the snowflakes with water-based markers. Use a Pipette filled with water and drop a few drops of water onto the marker drawings. The water will cause the marker to bleed and create interesting patterns.


• For very detailed snowflakes, cut small shapes close together. Make sure to cut shapes from both sides of the folded paper – this creates a very interesting completed snowflake.


• Experiment with different kinds of paper and different colored paper.


• Brush a thin layer of glue over your completed snowflake and sprinkle glitter to create a shimmery showflake.


• At the end of the season, carefully store your snowflakes in a zip-top storage bag for next year. Each year, add more snowflakes to your collection. Make this activity a fun family tradition!

Cinnamon Snowflakes (that you can eat)!

What You Need:

• 8 or 10 inch Flour Tortillas


• Sugar


• Cinnamon


• Butter


• Scissors


• Cookie Sheet

What You Do:

• Place a flour tortilla in the microwave for several seconds to soften it, then remove from microwave.


• Fold the tortilla in half, then fold in half again. You will end up with a triangle-shaped tortilla.


• Use a clean scissor to cut small shapes into the tortilla – much like you would do when cutting paper snowflakes.


• Unfold your tortilla and place on a cookie sheet.


• Mix equal parts sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.


• Brush a little softened butter onto the tortilla snowflake, the sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the butter.


• Put the tortilla snowflakes in a 350 degree oven until they are golden brown (about 3-5 minutes).


• Remove completed snowflakes from oven and eat!

Variations:

• If you prefer, sprinkle powdered sugar or edible glitter on the tortilla’s instead of sugar and cinnamon.

You Might Also Like:

Snowflakes – Creative Paper Cutouts – Get your scissors ready! This creative book shows you how to make your snowflakes wild and wonderful! A perfect activity for families or holiday … and includes instructions for folding, cutting, and decorating your snowflakes.

Snowflake Bently – This book includes beautiful photographs of snowflakes and is a great way for children to learn more about snowflakes.

Share Your Art Works! Activities!
If you have an Art Works! project that you would like to share, email us a digital picture (or scan) of your project , and we will post it in our Kids Gallery. If you would like, include the artists first name, age, and your state. It’s fun for kids to see how other children interpreted the project!

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As always, encourage your children to come up with their own new ideas for art – and make sure to check back next week for another Art Works! activity in this series!

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