How to Make Paper Snowflakes Into a Window Decoration
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How do you decorate a window for Christmas? With paper snowflakes! Making a paper snowflake is easy to do and a wintery way to decorate your home for the holidays.
When you make multiple paper snowflakes they can even become after Christmas decor and stay up all winter long.
I made the paper snowflakes you see hanging in my entryway windows 10 years ago for the dining room windows in my previous house. After using them back then, I liked the way they looked and saved them when winter was over.
When thinking about a way to decorate my home’s entry for Christmas this year, I remembered the snowflakes I had saved.
I went in search of them in my decor stash. They were a little wrinkled, so I used a warm iron to press them flat so I could put them back into decorative service.
What to Use to Hang Decorations on Windows?
When using snowflake decorations at a window for Christmas you could use snowflake window clings that stick to the window or suction cups to attach decorative snowflakes, window decorations or to hang ornaments on windows – using but…
… a prettier way to attach window decorations or hang ornaments on windows is attaching them to a strand of yarn or ribbon and tying the strands on a tension-style curtain rod.
That is what I did 10 years ago and it worked beautifully to hang the snowflakes.
Reusing the snowflakes on the entryway windows, I no longer had the tension rods to hang the strands of snowflakes.
Instead I used a large glue dot at the top of each strand to hang the stands over the window to make it look like it is snowing outside. No sewing involved.
They have been hanging up on the window for a few weeks so far – so I can attest that attaching a glue dot to the top of the strand works.
When it comes time to remove the 3 glue dots I used, I can simply spray the window with water to wet the dots and peel them off or use a razor blade scraper with no damage to the window.
How to Make Paper Snowflakes Hanging in a Window
Paper snowflakes can be made using any type of white paper. I used 8-1/2″ x 11″ computer paper since I had it one hand, but you could use scrapbook paper or construction paper to make a blizzard of snowflakes to decorate your windows.
Each of these papers are inexpensive which makes paper snowflake window décor a very budget friendly option for holiday decor.
supplies needed:
What you will need can be bought at the craft store or Walmart.
If using regular yarn or ribbon to hang the snowflakes: The pom-poms on the pom-pom yarn I used are spaced about 4-inches apart. If you are using regular yarn, make a knot in the yarn or ribbon every 4 inches and use the knot as the place to add the glue dot.
Using glue dots makes doing any project that requires glue of some sort –neat and easy! No hot glue strands to deal with.
How to Fold Paper to Make a Snowflake
After reading through this easy paper snowflake tutorial, you will become a pro snowflake maker in no time.
The paper folding technique required to make a snowflake is the same for every snowflake you make. To create the different snowflake shapes and designs is done by the way you cut the folded paper with scissors.
To make different sizes of snowflakes – use different size paper or cut the folded triangle down in size before cutting a design into it.
Step-by-Step Paper Snowflake Patterns
1. You need a square piece of paper for a perfect snowflake. Fold your paper as shown above. Cut off the section that is not overlapped. Doing this will create a square piece of paper.
2. Open up the paper and refold into a rectangular shape.
3. Find the center of the folded bottom edge and fold one side over from center mark.
4. Repeat on the other side – making sure all the edges are lined up.
5. Fold it over again, matching up edges.
6. Cut off the excess paper from the top to create a straight line making sure all the top edges are the same and you have a neat little triangle. Trim more if necessary to make sure everything is even.
How to Cut the Design into Folded Paper to Create a Snowflake
Once the paper is folded. Hold the paper triangle as shown in the blue diagram below to create various designs in the folded paper.
1. Follow one of the snowflake pattern designs in the diagram below and cut your folded paper using a sharp pair of scissors.
2. Carefully open it up. Voila! A pretty snowflake.
Once I got the hang of cutting out snowflake designs – I was creating my own designs and not using this diagram as a guide anymore.
- You can find more pretty snowflake patterns in this post: How to Make Snowflakes Using Paper Doilies
How to Hang Paper Snowflakes In a Window
1. Once you have all of your snowflakes made, press them with a medium temperature iron to remove some of the fold lines.
2. On the more intricate snowflakes, I used a fabric napkin as a pressing cloth so I would not damage any of the details on the snowflakes.
3. Once the snowflakes were pressed, I gathered them, the yarn, and Aleene’s Tacky Dots and began to assemble the snowflakes to hang.
I found it was easier to attach the snowflakes to the pom-poms on the yarn when the yarn was hanging from the window. I mounted a tension rod to my window and tied 3 pieces of yarn from it that were the length of my window.
I figured out where I wanted each snowflake to go and lined them up with the pom-poms on each piece of yarn. I attached a Tacky Dot on the snowflake where it would meet the pom pom.
I spread the pieces across the window so the snowflakes would be centered in the window panes. You could add as many as you want to fill up your window.
The directions on the glue dots says not to touch the dots with your hands as they may lose a little bit of their stickiness. I simply unrolled the strip of dots as I worked down each piece of yarn hanging from the window.
I pressed the dot to the back of each snowflake and then rubbed over the clear sheet and then peeled the sheet away from the Tacky Dot. I then pressed the dot on the snowflake to a pom-pom.
I positioned the snowflakes so there was at least one or two pom-poms on each snowflake. It was quite easy and took me less than 10 minutes for each window – I did two windows with the hanging snowflakes.
This photo shows the pom-pom is centered on the back of the snowflake.
Here you can see there are 3 pom-poms. I used a Tacky Glue Dot on each pom- pom.
The snowflakes gently move around and the pom-poms look like little snowballs.
My windows are now holiday and winter ready.
For more holiday decorating ideas, head on over to my holiday project gallery where you will find many affordable DIY holiday decorating ideas.
For more after Christmas decorating ideas browse this post:
More Christmas Decorating Ideas:
This has got to be my favorite project this season. It’s fairly simple and so pretty. I’d leave it up all winter. Now, if I can just find a window where it would work. Thanks for sharing another great project. Merry Christmas and still praying for your Zoe.
Hi PJ – Your comment is just what I love to hear. :-) Thank you for taking the time to tell me as well as praying for Zoe. XO. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas.
I love all of your posts!
Is there any way I can control all of these ads? They pop up and cover content even when I keep getting rid of them.
Thanks for any advice.
Hi Debbie – Thank you for reading my blog. Sorry about the ads and thank you for taking the time to comment about them as they should not pop up or cover the content. :-(
I will contact my ad network to make sure that these types of ads do not show up on my site. If you remember – was it a Walmart ad that popped up and then floated on the page or something different? I saw this myself and it should not be happening. I will make sure to get these blocked from my site.
Love these old teacher projects! You always provide the most detailed and easy to understand directions. Merry Christmas, sweet lady.
Love it! Great idea to use the Pom Pom yarn too 🎄
Going to make these for my grandson’s 1st birthday – Winter Onederland theme :). Can you tell me where you got your little tree?
Hi Julie – I bought the little tree back in the fall from Afloral as they are very popular and sell out every year. It is sold out, but I am sure they will sell it again next year, you just have to buy it early. It is called – Real Touch Faux Norfolk Pine Tree in Pot – 36″ × 1
It’s amazing how timeless this project is.
just beautiful.
So pretty – just love this, thank you!
I truly love your ideas! You have so much creativity! I am inspired by so much of what you show us. I look forward to reading every blog post. I’m so thankful that you continue to write these.
Hi Jennifer – Thank you – your comment means a lot to me and makes writing a blog worthwhile. I plan on blogging for as long as I can. :-)
It has been a tradition in my house for the last 5 years that anyone that enters my home not leave until they have crafted a paper snowflake. I have them sign and date them then I tack them randomly from my ceiling. It’s a great way to include everyone and almost everyone is surprised by their own creativity. Plus, it looks so festive!
I always keep several pairs of scissors and lots of paper at hand!
When the season is over, I place them in a binder against black paper in sleeves. Needless to say, I have hundreds of them and every one is unique!
Thank you for your window idea, I think I’ll do this with just the ones from my 19 grandchildren.
Let it snow! God bless you!
Hi Diana. Thank you for sharing your detailed tutorial for this lovely window dressing. I have included it in our Top 10 in Crafts inspiration for Winter. https://craftylikegranny.com/winter-crafts/ Cheers Jodie :)
Hello. I just want to say a huge thank you for the most brilliant tutorial on snowflakes. I’m from UK and managed to find alternatives to your handy products . Can’t wait for them to arrive so I can get started!
Thank you for the time and effort you have put into this excellent post!
It didnt work…
When I tried making my first snowflake the same thing happened to me. I know it seems confusing, but try again and make sure the paper is folded correctly and you are cutting into the folded edge.
Great tutorial, But when I made the snowflake, It ended up in 5 seperate peices, but Im not sure what I did wrong, although some of the folding was confusing. Anyways, Great tutorial and I’m sure I’ll get it right! Merry Christmas!
I just found your tutorial on Pinterest – thanks for a good explanation :)
Was thinking of doing this the week of Xmas with my high school students to decorate our classroom for winter and the next semester by hanging them from the ceiling tiles. Do you have any more patterns?
Hi Liz – I do not have any other patterns, but if you check on Pinterest I am sure you will find many.
This is beautiful. Thanks a lot for the detailed instructions!
they discontinued the pom pom yarn :( would love to do this for my daughter frozen themed party this month
Hi Morgan – I just did a search on Google. It is being sold on ebay for $6.29. I put “Spark a Doodle yarn” into the search bar and a few came up.
Hi Diane,
Thank you so much for the step by step tutorial. You’re paper snowflake curtain is beautiful & you’ve made it so simple that you’ve inspired me to make some too. Since the forecast isn’t calling for snow until 17 December where I live, I can bring it early with your shared project :)
Hi Diane!
I hope you get this comment. I was just looking back at my Christmas pin board and this was one of the very first Pins in there.
I actually MADE these!! BEFORE I was a blogger. Before I’d ever even read a blog! I saw it on Pinterest. It must have been the same winter that you blogged this. I LOVED this project!
When ever I see this Pin – I think I’m looking at a picture of my kitchen – mine looked JUST like yours!
Thanks for the inspiration – glad I finally realized who made them!!
-Breida
Hi Breida – I agree with you – they are one of my fave holiday decorations. They are so classic and go with everything, plus a little magical! When I take them down every year, I carefully store the entire curtain – rods and all in between two pieces of cardboard, I will be putting them up again right after Thanksgiving. I think I may even make a few more for my studioffice this year.
Thanks so much for such lovely clear detailed instructions…!
Great tutorial, and fantastic results! I found this on Pinterest and will be pinning it for myself to do in a month or so. Love the look…and will go wonderful with my snowman collection!
Thanks so much
Debbie :)
Late in posting this but I did this in both of my kitchen windows for the holidays! My 8 yo daughter loved cutting out the snowflakes and it looked great. Thank you for the great idea and tutorial. We had tons of compliments at our Christmas Eve party (my daughter was beaming :) )
thanks so much this site is FANTASTIC!!!! made my day!!!
This is such a neat idea, Diane. It would be great for kids. I saw that same yarn and wondered what I could do with it. Hugs, Kim
Wow! You are a Christmas crafting genius! So glad I found you via Centsational Girl.
Please stop by for a visit to my blog. I am currently in the midst of a Gifts to Make series.
Be Merry and Bright!
I am totally going to make these !!! Originally from Colorado (lots of snow!), I moved to Australia 14 years ago (no snow !) and though I don’t miss the cold … I do miss the beautiful snow flakes !! This is such a great idea.
Putting spark-a-doodle on my shopping list !!
Oh I am going to try that. I love the look of simple snowflakes.
I am SO excited about this! Duh, never thought to actually find patterns for making nice snowflakes! Thanks for this idea — can’t wait to give it a try to dress up my bay window!
I love this! So simple and darling. My kind of craft. I would have never thought to use a tension rod-you are a genius! Plus-no sewing-you are my kind of crafter.
Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Tausha
sassystyleredesign.blogspot.com
I really love it–so clever with the yarn. Consider yourself pinned. :)
BTW… We featured your project on our FB page. Please like us and check it out if you haven’t already! facebook.com/lovetocreate
Great finished project and excellent tutorial!! I learned how to make snowflakes from tissue paper from a substitute teacher in 2nd grade. Her name was Mrs. Overby. I always love the magic in the end result!! Thanks so much for playing with our Aleene’s Tacky adhesives. You have a great finished project!!
I like the added detail of pom pom yarn. From your kitty’s face, he likes it too!
Hi Diane,
I really enjoyed making these snowflakes tonight. After a long, hard day, it was nice to come home and make something so simple beautiful. Your creativity is boundless. I love your blog and look forward to your posts. You’ve become one of my “daily read” decorating blogs.
Have a wonderful holiday season. And I love your new dog-adorable and fun to see how she reacts to her new surroundings.
Hi Diane,
I wanted to know where you got those templates for the snowflakes. I can’t seem to find it on that link you provided. Everything is in another language and it has me a bit confused! Help please!! :)
Just beautiful, Diane- I love that the snowflake window treatment can stay up through the winter.
Thank you so much for this tutorial! We are missionaries in Ukraine, and I am always looking for something special to do with my kids. Since this is a third world country, we do not have a lot available to us, but everyone has paper and scissors! LOL!
Thanks for the great tutorial!
ok, I saw that yarn in fall colors and bought it just to roll up. Just yesterday I looked at it and thought I wonder if it comes in white! And I love this look, I may need to find a place to add it!
This is great. I have a pile of snowflakes I just cut and was working out how to hang them. I’m not keen on fishing wire either. Don’t know if I can get what you used here in Asutralia, but I’ll work something out.
Thanks Kylie
Wow, beautiful! I had NO idea there was an actual art to making them this nice. Great tutorial!
Donna