Icy blue tones and snow are both emblematic of winter, and this elegant glittery DIY cotton swab snowflake project is both dramatic and simple to create. With enough glitter and cotton swabs, it shouldn’t be hard to make a dozen. You choose whether to decorate your space with them all (and make a bold visual statement) or give some away.
A natural place for these is the Christmas tree, but these flakes can beautify your home all winter. Their attenuated "limbs" convey a hint of mid-century design flavor, but they will complement a strictly traditional, rustic farmhouse or mod aesthetic equally well. Don’t forget: One of the most wondrous things about snowflakes is their individuality. Take some design liberties and fashion a few that aren’t strictly symmetrical or make them highly detailed by using more cotton swab pieces. Hang them freely throughout your home to chase away the winter blahs for good.
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Materials
- Several dozen cotton swabs
- Heavy-duty cutting tool
- Hot glue gun
- Glue sticks
- 2 lengths of clear fishing monofilament, about 12 inches long each
- Ceramic salad plate
- 2 vials of glitter in different blues
- Thin rubber gloves
- Jar of Mod Podge
- Small bowl
- Small fine art paintbrush
- Heavy-duty cutting tool
- Hot glue gun
- Glue sticks
- 2 lengths of clear fishing monofilament, about 12 inches long each
- Ceramic salad plate
- 2 vials of glitter in different blues
- Thin rubber gloves
- Jar of Mod Podge
- Small bowl
- Small fine art paintbrush
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Cut four cotton swabs in half with the cutting tool at the center point of the stick.
1. Cut four cotton swabs in half with the cutting tool at the center point of the stick.
2. Form an eight-legged snowflake shape with the pieces. Place two pieces to create a vertical line, and two more pieces to create a horizontal line through the vertical line’s center. Put the other pieces in between each quadrant formed by the first four pieces.
3. The swab tips should all face outward.
4. Take one of the cotton swab pieces, and place a drop of glue on its stick end.
5. Attach another stick end to it. It will now look like a standardcotton swab.
6. Continue gluing the rest of the stick ends to the center portion of the snowflake, keeping them in the same place you got them from.
7. Set the snowflake down and allow the glue to dry completely.
8. Apply another drop of glue to the center of the snowflake, and glue one end of the piece of monofilament to it. Allow that glue to dry.
9. Set the plate on the work surface.
10. Open the vial of glitter, and pour about half of its contents onto the plate.
11. Put on the thin rubber gloves.
12. Open the jar of Mod Podge, and pour some into the bowl.
13. Dip the paintbrush into the Mod Podge, and coat the cotton swab snowflake thoroughly with the liquid.
14. Place the snowflake onto the glitter, moving it around so it gets completely covered. Use the piece of monofilament to move it through the glitter.
15. Pour the remainder of the glitter over the top of the snowflake, and distribute it as evenly as you can. You can use the paintbrush to spread some of the glitter. If necessary, take a glove off to increase your level of control.
16. Let the Mod Podge and glitter mixture dry and set completely.
17. For the next snowflake, gather four cotton swabs.
18. Place two end-to-end vertically on the work surface.
19. Place the other two on top these horizontally.
20. Cut six more cotton swabs in half with the cutting tool.
21. Place a swab stick end in each of the center corner portions of the first four snowflake components that form a “+.”
22. These pieces will form another smaller “+” oriented in the opposite way to the larger “+.”
23. Place the remaining cotton swab halves so their stick ends are connected to the midpoint of each of the larger “+” sign’s horizontal and vertical components. You will place a total of eight stick ends to each side of these midpoint components.
24. Apply a drop of hot glue to the two cotton swabs that serve as the horizontal piece of the snowflake.
25. Continue gluing the pieces as you had them laid out on the work surface, starting by connecting the largest pieces together and continuing until all the components are glued together.
26. Allow the glue to dry.
27. Glue a length of monofilament to the center of the snowflake for hanging.
28. Put one of the rubber gloves on your hand that will be moving the snowflake in the glitter on the plate. The other hand can be bare so you can use the paintbrush and pour the glitter more easily.
29. Gather the paintbrush, bowl of Mod Podge and vial of glitter in another shade of blue.
30. Apply some Mod Podge to the center of the snowflake, and pour on the glitter.
31. Continue coating sections of the snowflake with Mod Podge, and follow it up with pouring on the glitter.
32. When you’ve coated one side of the snowflake with glitter, turn it over and coat the other side.
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33. Take off the gloves and pour the last touches of glitter onto the snowflake.
34. Allow the Mod Podge and glitter to set.