Is there a winter craft that’s more classic and beloved than cutting out snowflakes? I remember doing this activity in first grade when I lived in Florida!
Although my teacher taught us the very basics about snowflakes, she didn’t get into the nitty-gritty.
Let’s learn a few facts first, shall we?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, snowflakes
begin to form when an extremely cold water droplet freezes onto a pollen or dust particle in the sky. This creates an ice crystal. As the ice crystal falls to the ground, water vapor freezes onto the primary crystal, building new crystals – the six arms of the snowflake.
No two snowflakes appear to look-alike because each individual snowflake follows a slightly different path from the sky to the ground {encountering different atmospheric conditions along the way}. Snowflakes can resemble everything from prisms and needles to the familiar lace pattern.
Source: NOAA
noaa.gov
So what is it about snowflakes that fascinate us? Is it their shape? Their beauty? The way they appear as they’re falling from the sky? Or do we feel a connection to snowflakes because no two are alike—just like us?
Kenneth Libbrecht studies the physics of snowflake formation.
Ballerinas dance The Waltz of the Snowflakes.
And writers pen poems about how fleeting the snowflake is…a temporary beauty…here one moment and gone the next. Could this be a metaphor for life?
Perhaps that is why we’re so drawn to snowflakes: we want to hold onto them, admire them, and only let go when we’re ready. Isn’t this similar to life? We want to hold onto people and places and things, love them, enjoy them, admire them…and then only let go when we’re ready.
Are we like snowflakes or are snowflakes like us?
Yes, I’m into some deep thinking today. Perhaps it’s because another year will soon come to a close. Perhaps it’s because I’m another year older or perhaps, I just realize that time flies by.
In the spirit of enjoying the here and now, let’s get wild and crazy with some snowflake and winter-themed printables, shall we?
Winter and Snowflakes
First up is a winter word search. <—Click the link and then select ‘print’ or ‘save’. Word searches are a great workout for the brain-–just like crossword puzzles.
I didn’t make you a crossword but I did make you several printable snowflakes. You can use them as templates for crafts or print them out as coloring pages for the kiddos.
Coloring Pages | Templates
Frozen Blue Inspired Snowflakes
Backgrounds
Up next are a few paper backgrounds. You can use these digitally or print them out and use them for crafts, gift wrap, etc.,
I made this paper with shades of blue–
and this paper is blue crepe with a texture.
Decorations|Templates
This is a blue ‘rough texture’ snowflake–
and a blue ‘water ripple’ snowflake. I do believe it’s my favorite.
Gift Tag
Finally, I made this set of gift tags in various shades of blue.
I don’t know about you but I don’t like using green/red gift tags all the time. I like a little variety—especially in my favorite color—and with snowflakes 😉
Download the snowflake templates, coloring pages, backgrounds, and gift tags here.
Can’t get enough of snowflakes? You can find more snowflake printables posted on our “Frozen” post.
If you enjoyed this post, we’d appreciate a share on social media. It helps keep the freebies free 🙂
As a reminder, these images are for your personal use {at home, on your computer, on your blog, in your crafts, etc.,}. You may not resell them or claim them as your own.
Did you learn something new about snowflakes today?
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