BJU Press Blog

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Fun with Snowflakes

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Make a Snowflake with snow falling

One of my favorite things about winter is snow. But living in the South means that I don’t often get the opportunity to enjoy any snow. Thankfully, I can still enjoy some of the beauty of snow by making my own snowflakes.

Do you remember making paper snowflakes? Growing up, I used to make or find a square piece of paper that I would fold into a tiny triangle. Then I would cut a pattern into it, unfold it, and . . . instant snowflake! But instead of going with just the traditional square piece of paper this time, I thought it would be fun to make snowflakes out of a couple other shapes too—a circle and a hexagon.

You can see the shapes I used for my snowflakes by clicking on one of the links below. The first document has just the shapes (square, circle, and hexagon), while the second document has the shapes with the initial fold/crease line shown.

Documents
  1. Snowflake shapes
  2. Snowflake shapes with fold line
Materials needed
  • Paper (construction paper, regular paper, scrap paper, or any other kind of paper you have around)
  • Scissors
Instructions
  1. Cut out one (or more) of the shapes.
  2. Fold the shape in half.
    • Square—Fold the opposite corners together so you have a big triangle.
    • Circle—Fold in half so that you have a half-circle.
    • Hexagon—Fold in half so that two corners meet. You should have an odd-looking triangle with two distinct points and the third “point” looking like the side of a square.
  3. Keep folding the corners together until you have a small triangle-shaped piece of paper
    • The square and circle should be easy after the initial fold. The square takes on a triangle shape after the first fold and the circle will resemble a slice of pizza.
    • The hexagon is a little harder. After the initial fold, fold again so that the two distinct points meet. You’ll still have a triangle with two distinct points and one odd-shaped “point.” Fold so that the odd-shaped point and the distinct point (opposite it) meet. By then your triangle should be small enough.
  4. Cut a pattern into the edges of the triangle shape.
  5. Unfold your triangle and see what you created.

Making snowflakes is fun and (relatively) easy. Try making snowflakes out of all three shapes to see how different each one looks. I hope you enjoy making snowflakes as much I did!

 

Add a Homemade Touch This Christmas

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I love decorating for Christmas! Recently (thanks to Pinterest) I’ve become more of a “do it myself” kind of guy and have enjoyed creating my own Christmas decorations.

If you’re looking for something that you and the kids can do to add a homemade touch to your Christmas décor this year, look no further. I’ve created some ornament patterns that you can download and print out for your kids to create one-of-a-kind ornaments.

Materials

  • A printout of the ornaments pdf (If you want, you can print it out on thicker paper to make them sturdier.)
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch
  • Craft supplies to decorate the ornaments (I used glitter pens and colored markers for mine.)
  • Ribbon
  • X-acto® knife (optional)

Directions

  1. Print out the ornaments and cut around each ornament on the dashed line.
  2. If you would like to, you can use the X-acto® knife to cut out the patterns within the ornaments.
  3. Once all the ornaments have been cut out, use the hole punch to make a hole at the top of each ornament.
  4. Use your craft supplies to decorate the ornaments however you like.
  5. Once all the ornaments are decorated and dry, cut some pieces of ribbon and string one through the hole at the top of each ornament.  You can staple or tape the ends of the ribbon to make a loop.
  6. Now display your homemade ornaments around the house. You can hang them on the tree or even hang them from the top of a door. Get creative and have fun!

We’d love to see your ornaments! Share a picture of your ornament creations with us on our Facebook page.

Count Your Blessings

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Encourage children to count their blessings and share them with others by making these simple table decorations for Thanksgiving.

Materials Needed

The same materials can be used for both table decorations.

  • Patterns:  (centerpiece) double turkey; (placemat) leaves or single turkey
  • Markers, crayons, color pencils
  • Pencil or pen
  • Scissors
  • Glue (glue stick works best)
  • Construction paper (optional for centerpiece)
  • Clear contact paper (optional for centerpiece)

Thankful Turkeys Centerpiece

  1. Download and print out the double turkey pattern.
  2. Have the kids write out what they are thankful for on the turkey’s four feathers. (They can write the same or different things on both sides.)
  3. Let the kids decorate their turkeys by coloring in the body and feathers. (If you decide not to use contact paper, adding feathers, sequins, and fabric to the turkeys might be fun.)
  4. Make sure the kids follow the dotted lines to cut out the turkeys. (If you want to leave the legs, don’t forget to trace and cut around them!)
  5. Finally, have them fold the printout on the solid black line and set it on the table. (Tips: For added firmness glue the printout to a piece of construction paper before folding it; or cut out the optional bottom piece, fold on the solid black lines, and glue the flaps to both sides of the printout. For added protection trace over the dotted lines on both burkeys. Next, lay a piece of contact paper on the front side of the printout. The contact paper should overlap the edge of the printout by half an inch. Cut out the turkeys and fold the printout on the solid black line.)

Blessings Falling Down Placemat

  1. Download and print out the leaves pattern.
  2. Have the kids write out a blessing on each leaf.
  3. Let the kids color the leaves. (The kids only need to color the side they wrote on.)
  4. Make sure the kids follow the dotted lines as they cut out each leaf.
  5. Encourage the kids to write a title for their placemat on the piece of construction paper. (For example: “I am thankful for . . . ” or “My Blessings”)
  6. Have the kids glue the leaves to either side of  the construction paper. (Preferred paper size is 9×12.)
  7. Cut out a piece of contact paper so that it overlaps the edge of the construction paper by half an inch. Place the construction paper onto the contact paper. Repeat the process so that both sides of the construction paper are covered and the contact paper is sealed; then trim the edges. (Optional: A placemat can also be made using the single turkey pattern.)

I hope you enjoy making these crafts. Making placemats was one of my favorite activities to do while growing up. In fact, I still use placemats, notepad paper, and 3×5 cards to help me reflect on the goodness of God. Teaching children to thank God for all things prepares them to trust Him in the future.

How do you encourage children to express thankfulness?