DIY Winter Snowflake Ornaments


diy-marbled-clay-ornaments-with-photos-for-kids

This week my children’s school held bake sales and homemade ornament sales to raise money for a school in Houston whose families have suffered tremendous loss from the hurricane. My kids were thrilled to participate, and wanted to make as many ornaments as they could to raise as they said, “a ton of money.” While they made DIY marbled clay snowflake ornaments of their own, I made a couple, too. It’s a super simple craft for kids and adults of all ages, which is why I’m sharing it with you today. Plus, this is a wonderful gift to encourage the kids to give their family and friends.

Materials:

Directions:

Step 1: Lay down parchment paper, and roll balls of clay with the various colors.

Step 2: Combine colors, and then twist and turn to blend the colors together for that marbled effect. With a rolling-pin, roll it out so it’s about 1/4 inch thick.

clay-crafts-with-kids-marbled-clay

Step 3: Press the cookie cutters into the clay, both the large snowflake and the small one. Remove excess clay around the cutter.

diy-marbled-clay-christmas ornaments-for-kids

Step 5: With a small straw (like the ones used in coffee shops), punch a small hole through the top of the ornament.

diy-marbled-clay-snowflake-ornaments

Step 6: Bake on parchment paper according to clay package directions.

Step 7: Add a wallet size photo with glue dots on the back of the ornament, string and hang it.

diy-frozen-snowflake-marbled-ornaments

diy-marbled-clay-ornaments-with-photos-for-kids

DIY Twig and Branch Snowflakes for a Rustic Holiday

I love all different holiday ‘decor’ styles. Some days I wake up and want everything to be white. Other days, I want gold metallic to glisten the room and every so often, I want colors that are merry and bright. But, I always love a touch of country or mountain rustic.It’s warm and inviting…and reminds me of Christmas in Colorado, especially the mountains of Colorado.

I had a box of twigs and branches in the garage that were just waiting to be sculpted into something…and after a recent shopping trip to Pier 1, I was determined to create DIY snowflakes out of branches, just like their branch snowflake ornaments. It only took about 2 hours, and I saved $14 per snowflake.

You’ll Need:
Thin twigs or branches that can be easily broken with hands {about 20-30}.
Hot glue and glue gun
Red and white twine
Faux greenery and berries {I bought 3 small bunches of greenery for $1 each}

How To:
Find one straight and strong twig for your snowflake ‘base’ {I positioned it vertically on the table}.
Find another twig and ‘eye’ the length as you slant it sightly to the left from your ‘base’. Snap the twig in half, and glue each side to the sides of your ‘base stick’.
Continue to add more sticks around your ‘base’ to complete your snowflake – measure to make sure lengths are really close, snap and glue. You can design it as you like, even adding smaller twigs that branch out from the larger ones.
Once your snowflake is complete, use twine to wrap around each stick in the center, and tie a knot in the back. I did this so it looked more festive, and it covered the hot glue.
Pull apart your faux greenery and glue the pieces onto your snowflake.
You can either use the twine to create a ‘hanger’ to hang these as ornaments, or use Command velcro to adhere to the wall. I only use 4 small pieces of the Command adhesives, and cut them into small squares.

 

{images via Tutto Bella}