Weekend Fun: Sew a Snowflake!
When winter storms come our way, stay warm and cozy with a good book and a fun project! The Storytime to Go this month features three picture books about snow and winter along with a craft to make a melting snowman spiral – stop by the main library on DeMott Lane to pick one up, and after you make that craft, extend the fun with this one! Sewing is a great activity to help develop fine motor skills and, for older students, has the added benefit of encouraging creative design skills.
What you need:
Scissors
1 sheet of cardstock
Twine or yarn or string (in a color that contrasts with the cardstock)
Pencil with a sharp point
Mouse pad
Ruler
Tape
What you do:
1. Cut a 5” or 6” square from the cardstock. TIP: Any stiff paper will work.
2. Use the ruler and pencil to draw a large “X” on the square paper.
3. Draw two more lines across the “X” and then add short lines branching out (see snowflake examples below).
4. Place the drawing over a mousepad and use the pencil point to poke tiny holes at the end of each line (see photo below) and one in the center (see photo below).
5. Cut a long piece of string, yarn, or twine, then take a tiny piece of tape and wrap it around one end to make it easier to push it through the holes.
6. Start at the center hole: Poke the taped end of the twine from the back of the drawing through the center hole, pulling it up gently and leaving a small tail behind.
7. TIP: Younger children may want to tape this piece down so it doesn’t pull out.
8. Poke the twine down through the hole at the end of one of the lines.
9. Find the hole nearest that one and bring the twine up through the hole and down through the hole at the end of that small line.
10. Repeat step 9 for all of the lines. TIP: Use the pencil point to make the hole a little bigger as needed. If you run out of string, secure the loose ends by tying or taping.
Once you’ve sewn all of the snowflake, hang it up to admire for the rest of the winter!
