Christmas Feature: Snowflake Paper Garlands with Anna of Mr Sparrow

We’re thrilled to have Anna of Mr Sparrow show us a DIY tutorial today, that will have your place all decked out for Christmas. I made similar ones to these last year and hung them in our loungeroom doorway – the effect was lovely when the sunlight streamed through them. But I love Anna’s use of red string. Enjoy!

How to make a paper snowflake garland.

I love the weeks before Christmas because I always feel a burst of craftiness coming on! I’m suddenly brimming with ideas for homemade decorations, presents and edible delights. Unfortunately, it’s also an incredibly busy time of year (particularly if you’re in the retail industry!), so I rarely get time to tackle most of the projects on my list. Which is why this Paper Snowflake Garland is so great – it’s a really easy project that is achievable in about half an hour in front of the TV. That I can do!

Here’s how to go about making your own Paper Snowflake Garland…

You will need:

• Paper squares in different sizes (I used plain white paper but you can jazz it up with coloured or patterned paper instead)
• Scissors
• Thread (I used red to contrast with my white snowflakes but you can use any colour you like)
• Sewing machine (or you can do it by hand – see step 7)

Method:

1. Take one square of paper and fold it in half diagonally to make a triangle.

2. Fold it in half again to make a smaller triangle.

3. Now hold it so the longest edge is on top and fold the two top corners in so that they overlap evenly (this is the trickiest bit to get the first time but after a few goes it’s a breeze!)

4. Cut off the two little tails on top.

5. Now for the fun bit! Take your scissors and start cutting out little chunks here and there! After a while you will start to figure out what cuts in certain places will achieve.

6. When you’re done cutting, unfold your paper to reveal your snowflake! You’ll need quite a few snowflakes to make a nice-looking garland, so repeat the process from the beginning until you have a nice little bundle going. I like to mix it up with different-sized snowflakes, too. For my garlands, I made a total of 11 small snowflakes and 3 large ones. Once you’re finished, flatten out your snowflakes by ironing them underneath a teatowel, with the iron on a low setting.

7. To stitch your snowflakes into a garland, thread your machine with your fun coloured thread. Leave at least 20cm of thread free and then start stitching through your first snowflake, making a straight line from top to bottom. Sewing machines may vary but with mine I can keep it going in between snowflakes, so you just keep stitching and gradually feed the snowflakes through, leaving a gap of 10-20cm between each one. For my garlands, I used three small snowflakes in a row, then a large one, and one final small one on two of them. Once you reach the end, leave another 20cm of thread to hang down. If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can also make the garlands by hand by poking a hole through the top and bottom of each snowflake (or using one of the holes already there) and tying thread between them.

Now choose a spot in your home to hang your snowflake garlands. If you’ve made white ones like mine, they look most dramatic on a coloured wall but will look nice just about anywhere! If you don’t want to hang them, you can also wrap them around your tree as a much classier alternative to tinsel. Enjoy!

Thanks Anna! Please note we suggest all kids be supervised with this project – especially the ironing and sewing bit – we don’t want you to burn your little fingers, or the paper after so much hard work! Happy decorating.
Jelena