You may have spotted this craft on my Instagram a few weeks ago. This year was the first year that I had to think of something for holiday teacher gift ideas. E is only in a once a week nursery school, but the program is amazing. There are over 10 teachers and staff that she interacts and learns with each week. While I wanted to gift something to each of them, even the smallest something adds up quickly. So I went back to my roots, my frugal, crafty beginnings. There had to be something that E could make that would be the perfect gift for her teachers. And who doesn’t LOVE a handmade present!
So a bit of Google research, a bit of Pinterest searching… I needed to pick something I could easily make with the things I had in my house. So Popsicle sticks is where I found myself. There are SO many cute holiday craft ideas using Popsicle sticks! And I am always drawn to snowflakes, they can be put out earlier and stay up later than anything with a Santa on it.
I had found a few different variations of this snowflake ornament, this method made most sense to me. Keeping the paint contained, but also pretty. After my first try with this, I repeated it again with my youngest, C who is only 2, and she did great as well. So this is for any aged kids.
Snowflake Ornament
- Box or old baking dish
- Masking tape
- Popsicle sticks
- Acrylic paint
- Paint brushes
- Old ice cube tray
- Paper towels
- Hot glue gun & glue sticks
- Using an old box or baking dish, make large loops of masking tape every few inches. Then line with Popsicle sticks, keeping gaps to a minimum. (I had some old extra baking dishes left from my Grandma‘s kitchen, and she would’ve loved this second use!)
- Working in batches, paint sticks with 2-3 colors of your choosing. Mix and mash, dribble and smudge… You can not make mistakes here! I found that working in small batches with few colors allows for the layering of colors when gluing later to stand out more.
- Allow the sticks to dry. Depending on the paint this could take a few hours to overnight. Overnight is a great bet, especially if you have a heavy handed painter!
- Peel sticks away from tape loops. Bend to break sticks apart if any appear to be “glued” to each other due to paint.
- Arrange sticks in groups of 4. Be aware of colors or light vs dark colors to create a good mix. Or let your little artist pick 4 to go together.
- Adult step! Using hot glue, make one small dot in the middle of one stick. Then make an X with a second stick. Repeat with two more sticks, alternating angles to make an asterisk shape.
- Using string or twine, make a loop and tie it around the center of the snowflake.
These will keep little hands busy creating for a while. And even with the holidays over, they make a great ‘just because’ gift in the winter for someone special. And during the holidays they make great attachments on a wrapped gift, and can easily loop over unwrapped ones (wine bottle anyone?). And they are great for anyone teachers, mailman, friends and family. The ideas are limitless with these adorable crafted snowflakes.
Love this? Tried it? Share your meal photos on my Facebook page, tag them onInstagram & Twitter with #MadeByMeggs or even comment below! I’d love to see what you enjoy! Don’t forget to check out more of what inspires me on Pinterest.
xoxo Meggs
Made By Meggs 