paper snowflakes

Before I moved to Florida, I imagined it as a kind of picturesque vacation land. The kind of Florida you see on a postcard. Giant waves to surf, sandy beaches for miles, & rows of palm trees. I pictured lots of tan people wearing bathing suits 24/7, & was terrified that I would stick out as the pale northern outsider in cargo pants (I was fifteen, so you can't judge me on my angsty youth fashion choices). Fortunately for me, this is not the reality of Florida. Some of this may be true for parts of south Florida, but I'm about 100 miles inland in the pants-wearing part of the state. Contrary to my previous notions, it actually gets cold here! There are approximately two seasons: hellishly hot, & humid-cold. It never gets cold enough to snow though. We've tried. Last year we claimed one whole snow day in hopeful anticipation, but the snow never showed. With reality in the forefront this holiday season, I brought the snow indoors.

With elementary school reminiscence, I've been cutting up paper into snowflakes. This time around I'm implementing a trick to get all those creases out so they hang nice & flat. Paper snowflakes make for quick & cheap holiday decorations & are also a fun craft for the kiddos in your life. In case you can't recall back to your elementary school days, here's how to make some snowflakes of your own.

Grab a piece of computer paper (8.5 x 11) & some scissors. First we're going to make a square. Fold the top right-hand corner of your paper down to the left so the edges meet.

Next, cut off the excess paper. If you unfold your triangle you should have a square. Fold your triangle in half along the folded line, bringing point A to point B...

... & you get this shape. Fold your triangle again, point C to point D...

... almost done! Fold it in half again, points E to F...

... only this time don't make a crease. Just pinch it lightly & cut off the excess on the top.

Unfold your paper, & begin cutting. Cut into the sides & the top, but never all the way across.

The key to a good snowflake is to be creative. Cut scallops along the top, cut a starburst in the center, or cut a heart shape along the edges. No matter what you end up doing, each one will be unique & beautiful in it's own way.

Now for a flattening trick! Set your iron to a low setting, & iron the snowflakes flat. If the pattern is very intricate & fragile, lay another piece of paper on top before ironing.

I'll let you know later on in the week where I've decided to hang all these lovelies.


xoxo,
-m.e.


Related // Shout out to BuzzFeed for featuring the Beyonce cross-stitch project!