Make paper snowflakes out of coffee filters

I love walking through my neighborhood and seeing paper snowflakes taped in peoples' front windows. Especially the ones obviously done by little kids; they more like swiss cheese than snowflakes! But the effort and the excitement that went into making them...I love seeing that.

Any way you can get kids involved in holiday decorating...do it. Here's an easy paper snowflake hack from Kirsten:

I was cutting paper snowflakes out of coffee filters the other night and thought it might make a good hack.  They are easier to fold to get six-sided flakes (in half, in thirds, in half again), they're thinner than printer paper (easier for kids to cut), but not too thin that they're fragile.

We don't even drink coffee - but I keep filters around for various kiddo projects!

Basket coffee filters work better than cone filters for this project. I once got a massive package at Costco (something like 500 filters) for about $8.

If you want color, before you cut the filters, water down some blue food coloring or watercolor paint, and drip it onto the filters. You can even dampen the filters with a spray of water first to help the color gently spread. Flatten, let dry, then proceed!

Related: Cut wrapping paper scraps and seasonal catalogs into paper snowflakes

Comments

[kirsten]

I forgot about this hack, Asha! ;) But weirdly, I was looking up my post to remember how to fold them today because it's snowflake day!

If anyone wants to see pictures:
http://kirstencan.typepad.com/kirstencan/2010/11/snow-inside-out.html

[Kendra]

We just made earths out of coffee filters in my 3-year-old's preschool class. Give the kid a couple green markers and a couple blue ones, encourage them to color any way they like, then saturate with a spray bottle. The colors spread out and join in really beautiful ways and the filters flatten at the same time. I was just thinking we ought to try it as snowflakes. An assortment of blue markers and the same technique, then cut them out after they dry!