Why Don't You Make Me: Toilet Paper Tube Snowflakes

Every year, following in the neurotically over-decorated footsteps of our Mother, my Sister and I decorate our respective houses Buddy the Elf style.  As instinctual to us as a bear hibernating in winter, each Black Friday rather than standing in line at midnight to get 80% an iPhone, Sister and I find ourselves almost involuntarily crawling into our storage spaces and digging out our Christmas decorations.  Unfortunately I now live 2,000 miles away from Sister but the tradition continues and progress is shared over our regular, non-Black-Friday-sale-priced phones.  Luckily for me, I have a housemate who shares my affinity for the over-decorated.  You'll see her perfectly manicured florescent yellow nails in her hand-modeling debut below.

This year to accent our entertainment center tablescape (that's right, I just said that) we made snowflakes out of recycled toilet paper rolls.  They came out even better than I had imagined and they're super simple and practically free.  Here's how we did it.

You'll need:

• empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls
• hot glue gun/glue sticks
• GLITTER
• Mod Podge or Elmer's glue
• fishing line
• scotch tape
• a box

Step 1:

Light your Christmas Tree scented candle for ambiance and put on some Christmas music

Step 2:
Gather tubes and cut into 1/4" to 1/2" strips, then flatten to create an oval with 2 edges.

Step 3: 

Begin experimenting with pieces to arrange them into a snowflake like shape, folding the ovals in half is a good way to create more details.

Once you're happy with your design beginning gluing the pieces into place with your hot glue gun.  

**Careful cause OUCH this sh** is hotttt!**

 

Step 4: GLITTER!!!

Dip a paintbrush in ModPodge (or Elmer's glue) and apply to the entire front of your snowflake.
(My quick witted and good looking co-worker Karen suggested dipping the snowflake in a paper plate with a shallow layer of glue in it, this may work too but I didn't try it so you're on your own here.)

 Next, above a box to catch all of the extras, sprinkle Glitter onto wet glue.

Allow about 30-40 minutes for glue to dry.

Step 5: Hang 'em high.

I added 2 pieces of fishing line with a dollop of hot glue onto my snowflakes so that they won't spin.

 **Tip: You can just put 1 piece of fishing line on but if you do I would suggest Glittering the back of the flake as well because it will spin freely and an unGlittered snowflake is just unsightly.**

And you're done!  

Let me know if you make this project in the comments.  I'd love to see your spin on it!  Subscribe to get more Holiday projects and see the rest of my tutorials here.  Happy Crafting!!

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