Make easy cotton swab snowflakes with Little Passports

Cotton Swab Snowflake Craft

If an impromptu snow day has you scrambling to find things to do with the kids (that don’t include screen time!) try bringing a bit of the white stuff indoors. Cotton swab snowflakes are easy enough for a toddler to make and can result in intricate designs when put together by an older child or even a crafty teen. Best of all, supplies are easy to gather, even when you’re snowed in.

Materials

Cotton swabs
White glue
Wax paper (can substitute a cookie sheet)
Scissors (optional)
Glitter (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Roll a sheet of wax paper over your work surface to protect it (or use an old cookie sheet instead — you can scrub off any excess glue later). You can choose to work directly on the wax paper, or you could also cut out a circle of construction paper 6-8 inches in diameter to mount your snowflake. Whichever method you choose, place a dollop of glue as a central starting point. The tips of the cotton swaps will fan out from this central point.

Step 2: Cut off one side of a cotton swab. Repeat until you have enough swabs to create the base of your snowflake.

Step 3: When you like the arrangement, add a bit of glue to the top of the joint to make sure you have a good seal.

Step 4: Add more cotton swabs to form patterns on the branches of your snowflake, if desired. Older kids and teens may wish to snip their cotton swabs into shorter lengths for variations in the pattern. Use dollops of glue at the joints to hold them together.

Step 5: If you like, sprinkle glitter over the snowflake when the design is finished. The glitter will stick to any spots where the glue hasn’t dried. Older crafters can add tiny dots of glue to the cottony parts before adding glitter to have more control over the sparkly pattern.

Step 6: Allow the snowflake to dry thoroughly on the wax paper.

Step 7: Gently peel the wax paper away from the snowflake and the dried glue. If you made your snowflake on a cookie sheet, use a spatula to pry the snowflake up from the surface.

Did you know that scientists have found that there are actually 35 patterns for snowflakes? They all have six sides, but there’s tremendous variation beyond that. To get inspired before or during your project, search online for close-up photos of different snowflakes. No two cotton swab snowflakes will be alike, so everyone in your family can contribute to an indoor snowfall the next time you’re stuck inside on a winter day.

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