At Christmastime, quilling and snowflakes make the perfect pair.
They go together like hot cocoa and marshmallows… twinkle lights and garland ….Santa and his reindeer… you get the picture!
Because quilling naturally appears so delicate, its the perfect medium for holiday snowflake decorations.
They can be a bit intimidating, but this week, I’m sharing some tips on how to make quilling paper snowflakes.
Quilled snowflakes can range in style pretty dramatically.
Some are super detailed and extraordinary, others are more simple.
But they can all really just be made with the most basic of quilling shapes.
The tricks are to use symmetry in your designs and to keep your shapes consistent sizes throughout the entire snowflake.
And for those who are just starting out making their own, I designed some snowflake templates to make the process much less scary!
There are 4 different styles in this pack, ready to be printed now!
Click here or on the image below!
After you have your templates printed, place one on top of your quilling workboard and cover the design with a piece of wax paper.
Pin all the papers into place.
Now you have a surface build your snowflake!
Because the wax paper is clear, you can easily follow the pattern underneath, and there will be minimal glue-stickage when you’re through.
As you follow the designs, you’ll be making snowflakes in no time!
You might notice there are small gaps between the shapes in the templates.
I wanted to make sure the shapes would be clear and easy to see, so I didn’t place them butting right up against each other.
Don’t worry about the gaps interfering with your end product.
It’s ok if the snowflakes don’t line up exactly with the picture!
The first template is the most basic of the four.
It’s great practice for making equal sized shapes!
If I was to make this one again, I would probably change up the colors here and there.
The others range from traditional to much more modern and unique.
But they’re all different and that’s what snowflakes are all about!
I’ve even added some straight lines in one pattern to add some contrast. I think that one might be my favorite!
The colors I chose to use for my snowflakes are creamy white, orchid (one of my all-time favorite pale purples), and light blue.
I did add some grey to one, but I think that particular shade was a bit too dark. Next time, I’ll use something lighter or with a bit of sparkle!
Now, just so there’s no fear about being able to dive right into learning how to make quilling paper snowflakes, I’m including a cheat sheet with all the measurements for the 4 printable templates I’m sharing.
You can print that by clicking here, or on the image below!
I’m also sharing a blank grid for when you’re ready to start making your own snowflake designs, but still need a little reassurance that everything will turn out evenly.
Simply print out the grid here, and start working on your own snowflake design.
TIP: Start building your design from the center and work your way out. You’ll find it is much easier to make your snowflake even and balanced.
If you’re looking to turn your snowflakes into tree ornaments, simply add some twine or string through a coil and knot to form a loop.
You can also check out this post about decorating with snowflakes after the holidays for more inspiration!
I hope this post and printables make the question of how to make quilling paper snowflakes a little less terriflying!
They’re really fun when you get the hang of making the repeating patterns.
Give it a try and tell me all avout it in the comments below!
What glue do you use because my daughter is very good at this but glue is a problem
For most quilling, I use Elmer’s Extra Strong White Glue. The only trick I have is to use a needle-nosed bottle to apply glue in order to use the smallest amount possible. It can also be helpful to use a thin paintbrush to wipe away any extra glue, and have a damp towel nearby to wipe off gluey fingers. I hope this helps your daughter!
How to make them sturdy
Do you apply any sealant ?
You absolutely can use a sealant! Check out the site Honey’s Quilling. She’s done loads of research on different types of quilling sealants.
Hi, thanks for sharing your patterns and expertise! I’m brand new to quilling… on the measurements page, does the 6”, 4”, etc. after the shape refer to the length of the strip or the size of the shape on the board that you put the coil in after rolling it? Thank you!
Hi Maria! Usually, when I include a measurement it is the length of the strip before it’s rolled. I hope that helps!
Very helpful, thank you! Have a great holiday season
I love the delicate geometric patterns achieved in quilling. I used 1 or 1/2 inch widths with my elementary students and we achieved some wonderful keepsakes. I don’t know if you are interested, but another fun and easy craft is pin embroidery. This simple craft uses floss and paper to create “spirograph” inspired desires. Thanks for your samples.
That sounds like fun! I’ll have to look it up 😊
Thank you so much!
I love these! stumbled upon them and now am sold! I want to try to mount these on cardstock for Christmas cards. Thank you for making patterns available for newbies!
I am just starting out quilling & I love your snowflakes I have printed out the templates and measurements but can you please tell me which is which. Thank you. Happy New Year!!
I’m glad you’ve found my snowflakes, and I’m sorry if my notes are confusing. The numbers on the snowflake measurements correspond to the colorful snowflake images earlier in the post. So snowflake #1 measurements are for the top left snowflake, snowflake #2 is the top right one, #3 is the bottom left, and #4 is the bottom right. Let me know if I can help with anything else!
One question what width paper did you use
These snowflakes were all done with 1/8″ strips.
Do you apply glue or mod podge to your snowflakes to make them sturdier for hanging?
You can absolutely apply a sealant to make them stronger. Check out the site Honey’s Quilling for a lot of info and reviews on sealing quilling!
I’m just starting quilling and I found this very helpful, thank you! One question, may I sell ornaments made with these patterns?
Thank you for asking. I do have a request on my site that my designs are not meant to be sold, but you can mix and match the shapes of the snowflakes once you get the techniques down to create your own very easily!
Thank you!