So, this year my kids could not wait to put up the Christmas tree. I barely had time to put on the lights before they were putting the ornaments onto the tree. And that is not a problem, per se, but I like to put the lights on first, then the garland, and THEN the ornaments. Well, there was no time for that. So, we just went with no tinsel. That’s ok. I mean, it is plastic and stringy, and really, not needed. However I felt that our Christmas tree was lacking some personality, so I quickly whipped up some Snowflake Christmas garland to add to our tree. So, let’s jump in and see how we can make this project!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you purchase an item from one of my links. This will not change the price you pay.
Supplies needed to make Snowflake Christmas Garland
Snowflake Christmas garland doesn’t require many supplies, but there is always a need for some, so here goes:
- Cardstock – I used two different types of cardstock for this project.
- Glue – I used my trusted Bearly Art Crafting Glue for the paper portion of the craft, and my hot glue gun for the ribbon (optional).
- Cutting Machine – I used my Cricut Explore Air 2 but you can use any cutting machine or ever get away with using scissors.
- Ribbon – I used a light blue ribbon to match my snowflakes, but any color will do. You can even use string or yarn if you prefer.
- Optional – SVG design for my snowflakes – I have made an SVG file for these exact snowflakes, but you can use any snowflakes you like or have access to. You can get a copy of my snowflakes SVG file below.
Snowflake Garland SVG file Adjustments
Like with all of my SVG files, there is a need to make some minor modifications to make the project come out exactly like mine. So, here are the steps you need to take within Cricut Design once you have the files on your computer:
- Import the file into Cricut Design Space:
- Select the Upload icon.
- Select the Upload Image button.
- Select the file from the location where you saved it.
- Select the design so that it has a rectangle around it.
- Verify that the dimensions lock is locked.
- Select the Ungroup button to ungroup all of the items.
- Select all of the items (if they have been deselected).
- Select the Align drop-down menu and select the Center (vertically and horizontally – one button).
- Change the height of the design file to 3″. (or any larger or smaller size you like, but 3″ worked well for me).
- Duplicate the snowflakes to create as many as you desire for your garland.
- You can modify the colors of any parts by selecting them and choosing a different color in the color pallet next to the Operation.
Once happy with your size and colors, select Make.
Assembling Snowflake Christmas Garland
Making Snowflakes
The design that I have made had 4 different snowflakes. So, once all the pieces are cut out, you need to match up the white outline to the blue snowflakes. Make sure to align the snowflake and the white backing so that the hole lines up. Each white backing has a hole, and each blue snowflake is missing a section of a center leaf of the snowflake.
Once you have each one matched up, apply glue to the back of the snowflake. You do not need glue on every edge, but the outer edges are a good idea. Then, place the snowflake on the white backing.
If you mistakenly place the snowflake on the white backing and do not have your hole lined up, that is okay. You can cut the surplus blue off, or poke it through the hole and glue it down on the back.
Pulling Ribbon through snowflakes
I am using a 1/2″ blue ribbon to string my snowflakes. But when starting to pull the ribbon through the holes of the snowflake, I noticed that the ribbon was all frayed, so I put a bit of tape on the end and rolled it so it would easily fit through the hole.
I pulled all of the snowflakes onto the ribbon at once. Then, I worked on spacing the snowflakes.
Using my working mat, I marked off the 5″ mark and pulled each snowflake 5″ part for the next one. Once I had all of my snowflakes on the ribbon and the spacing I liked, I cut the ribbon. In my case, the ribbon ended up being 50 inches long.
Optional gluing the snowflakes to the ribbon
Even though the holes on my snowflakes are holding the ribbon nicely, I didn’t want them moving around much, especially if I want to reuse these next year. So, I heated up my glue gun and put a dab of glue on the back of each snowflake where the ribbon come out. This will hold the snowflake in place and still let it look cute.
And that’s it! Your Snowflake Christmas Garland is done!
Things I learned while making Snowflake Christmas Garland
I did something new this year. I tried to design 6 new Christmas crafts at once. And then, I cut them all out at once, and then I assembled them all one after another. This is great for workflow, but maybe not so great for learning from past projects and implementing those learning things….. So, I have a few things that I learned….
- The snowflakes I designed are cute, but there are 4 different snowflakes. And I know that no two snowflakes are the same, but I really should have stayed with the one snowflake design. Cutting 4 different snowflakes with 4 different backings proved to be challenging afterwards. I probably spent more time organizing the snowflakes than actually assembling the snowflake Christmas Garland. So, if you are making this craft, I recommend, picking one snowflake you like and sticking with it.
- I chose to use the snowflake cut in two colors. The snowflake itself was cut out in blue and the backing in white. But I could have made it simpler either by:
- Setting the snowflake to Draw – pen and then attaching the snowflake and backing together and making multiple copies that way, or
- Selecting the snowflake and backing and changing them to a print and cut. Then, I could print the blue snowflake with my printer and still cut it out on my Cricut.
- At the end of the craft, I glued the back of the ribbon to the snowflakes so they all faced forward. I wasn’t really paying attention to the direction of the ribbon and the snowflake, and some of them ended up facing the wrong way, and I had to reglue them. So, if you are going to do this gluing exercise, pay attention to the direction of all the snowflakes and ribbon.
- I made my snowflakes 3″ wide. If I had made them smaller, the hole for the ribbon would have been too small to allow my ribbon to make it through.
Did you enjoy this Christmas Craft?
Did you enjoy making this Snowflake Christmas garland with me? Let me know in the comments below! Did you try making it yourself? How did it go? Let me know!
If you enjoyed this Christmas Project, be sure to check out some of my other Christmas Projects HERE
If you enjoy paper crafts, check out some of my other paper crafts here.
