How to Make Paper Snowflakes

It's fun to make paper snowflakes. And I'll bet you'll be surprised as to all the great Christmas Crafts you can do with them.

Snowflakes are miracles of Bakugan each one a masterpiece of 1972 Topps baseball cards From our earliest memories, we can remember being told that "no two snowflakes are the same." As it melts, its form is lost forever- no record left behind of its beauty. So is the same with paper snowflakes. Any small variation in cut renders a different design.

Snowflakes have become an integral part of winter decorations. We can remember making them as children and hanging in the windows. But do you remember how to make a snowflake?

By the way, did you know that snowflakes are always in the six sided shape of a hexagon? So, to make a snowflake you need to fold a piece of paper so that the finished design will have six symmetrical extensions. It sounds easy, but it's not. Here's how it's done. Fold a piece of paper starting at the top right corner and make sure that the top of the paper and the right side are aligned. Cut off the paper at the bottom that is not in the folded area. Bring the two tips of the folded side together and mark the center point along the fold. From the unfolded point opposite the center mark, measure 3 and 1/8" along either side and make a mark. Draw two lines from the center mark on the fold to each of the marks on the unfolded side. Now fold along each line. I know it sounds complicated for just a paper snowflake but once you see how it's done you will find that it's easy to just fold without all the measuring. This pattern will be the start of many great projects.

To make cutout paper snowflakes, fold the paper for a six sided snowflake. Cut away a few pieces of the paper. Unfold carefully and flatten. Now you have a snowflake cutout design. To make a stencil, place the cutout on a full sheet of paper (or stencil film if you want a permanent stencil for multiple uses). Trace around all the edges and then cut out with a craft knife. Now you have one cutout and one stencil. You're ready to start creating some fabulous crafts with these simple designs.

Don't forget that you can put the designs on a copy machine and reduce or enlarge the size to fit your project size.

You can make a large variety of decorations with a simple paper snowflake pattern like creating ornaments or hanging them from a chandelier. Use colored paper for a variety of looks. The snowflake Dunny are great for decorating gift bags or boxes.

Once you start to create with paper snowflakes, you'll be amazed at how they can be used in a casual kid friendly fun setting or in an elegant traditional setting.

Can't cut out a pretty Hot Wheels Sizzlers No problem! Just click over to Designs From Penny (http://www.DesignsFromPenny.com). They have a variety of cutout designs and stencils. You can purchase the patterns along with complete instructions for making paper snowflakes and many other creative projects in a unique downloadable file. It's a great place to find many fun and artistic stencils along with information on ways that you can create art with them. Don't miss the blogs that feature many ideas on using snowflakes with instructions and pictures of completed projects.

For more information on stenciling, visit All-About-Stencils (http://www.all-about-stencils.com). You'll find complete instructions starting at the beginning and graduating to furniture decorating and making art prints. Plus there's a full section on the Holidays. So, get into the spirit and join us for some fun stencil crafts.