How to Crochet a Snowflake

If you love crafts and want to spruce up your holiday season with homemade decorations, a crocheted snowflake can be a lot of fun. Although you should have at least a basic understanding of crocheting before attempting a snowflake, the process of making them is quite relaxing once you get the hang of it. Once you figure out the process, making these snowflake decorations can be done fairly quickly, so you can make multiple to gift to friends and family.

EditSteps

EditCreating the Snowflake Core

1. Crochet your first loop.^[1] Wrap a piece of yarn around your finger three times. Slide your crochet hook under the first two loops and use it to pull the third loop under the first two. This will result in your first two loops. You will use that as the foundation to base the rest of your snowflake around.
   
   
2. Crochet the yarn five times. Crochet the yarn five times to begin your snowflake's core. When you’re done, crochet the chain through your center loops. From there, you'll begin to see your snowflake's core emerge.
   
   
   • Following that, chain two and double crochet around the center loop.^[2]
3. Tighten the yarn. Once you have finished your first loop around the center, it’s a good idea to consolidate what you’ve done so far. Gently tug on the yarn, pulling the loops closer together. If you make a bit of consolidating the loops slightly as you go long, the snowflake shape will be sharper.
   
4. Begin the second round by chaining three. Chain three loops and double crochet them in place. Continue to gently tug on the yarn after looping for the sake of tightening it up.
   
   
   • Once you've started the second layer, continue in chains of four until you've looped around.^[3]
5. Slipstitch the loops in place. Slip stitching your thread through loops will help you complete the second layer and prepare you for the next step. After going around the first layer and double crocheting every four loops together, you should slipstitch back to the chain of three you began the second layer with.^[4]
   
   
   • A slipstitch secures a thread in place to another by weaving behind another.^[5] This is useful if you’re wanting to move your thread a few steps over.

EditCreating the Snowflake Edges

1. Chain three loops and crochet them into a chain two space.^[6] A snowflake's edges are what most characterizes a snowflake. This is where a lot of its beauty will come from. However, they're quite a bit more difficult than the snowflake's core. First, chain three loops and tighten them until they occupy a space that two would have fitted in on earlier layers.
   
   
2. Chain another five into the same space.^[7] Creating the "wings" for your snowflake is a fairly complicated process, and relies on a number of crochet series. First, chain five loops and tighten them until they fit into the space worth three. Once you've finished this first step, do the following chain series in order:
   
   
   • Chain seven and slipstitch.
   • Chain five.
   • Chain three.
   • As always, slipstitch after you’re done with each step.
3. Repeat the process until you have completed your edges. A snowflake should be symmetrical on all sides. Repeat your steps until you have edges on all sides of your snowflake.^[8]
   
   
4. Cut the thread when you’re done. Take a pair of scissors and cut the yarn off near the point you ended with. Take care not to cut too close however, as you may risk unravelling the final part of the snowflake.
   
   
5. Hide the thread end with a darning needle.^[9] Take the end of your yarn that you cut off and fix it to a darning needle. Next, weave the yarn in the existing pattern of the snowflake. This will hide any loose ends and prevent the snowflake from unravelling.
   
   
   • Do the same with the other end as well.

EditBlocking the Snowflake

1. Soak your snowflake in water.^[10] Blocking refers to stretching out the snowflake so that it holds a more rigid, distinctive form. You can do this by laying the snowflake down, stretching it out with pins and holding it in place with glue.
   
   • Fabric stiffener (available from crafts stores) is a perfect alternative to water for this purpose.^[11]
2. Stretch and pin the edges of your snowflake to cardboard^[12] After applying a stiffener to the snowflake, you'll want to stretch out and define the snowflake's angles. To do this, pull on each of the edges and pin it down onto a piece of cardboard. Do this for each of the snowflake's points. When it's secured in place, you'll be able to add other things like glitter.
   
3. Apply craft glue to the stretched snowflake.^[13] Putting a crafts glue (like Elmer's) onto the stretched snowflake will help solidify the stretched shape. Apply a dab to a cotton swab and brush it over the pieces of yarn. Although you don't need to cover the entire snowflake, you should at least glue the major points where yarn overlaps.
   
4. Add glitter for decoration.^[14] While the glue is still drying, apply splashes of glitter to the snowflake. These glitter specks will catch light, making your snowflakes more eye-catching as a result.
   
5. Allow the snowflake time to set. Leaving a snowflake to settle overnight will ensure it has all the time it needs, but a couple of hours is usually more than enough. If you're making multiple snowflakes, set them down next to each other and allow them to set simultaneously.
   
6. Hang up your snowflake. Add a piece of thread through the top of an edge on the snowflake and tie it in a knot. You can use this thread loop to hang your crochet snowflake on a Christmas tree. Before you hang it up, you should first make sure that the glue and glitter have settled sufficiently.
   
7. Explore different crochet snowflake designs.^[15] Once you become used to the basics of crocheting snowflakes, you may want to try different and more advanced designs. As if with homemade craft, there are a plethora of ways to go about making one. Home crafts makers are coming up with new and innovative ways of crocheting things every day, so it may be in your interest to go online and get in contact with crafts makers you particularly admire.
   

EditVideo

EditTips

• Crochet snowflakes are perfect as a seasonal gift. Because they can be made in sequence, you can make a number and distribute them to your friends and family.
• Once you get the hang of snowflakes, you can make quite a few in a short amount of time. This is very helpful if you want to decorate your tree with a homemade theme.^[16]

EditWarnings

• Any errors you make in the cross-stitching will be visible in the final product. Although small issues can be looked past, it’s nonetheless a good idea to be cautious, especially in the early stages of your snowflake.

EditThings You’ll Need

• A piece of cardboard.
• A size zero crochet hook.
• A darning needle.
• A set of pins.
• A pair of scissors.
• Scrap yarn.

EditSources and Citations

• Videos provided by ExpressionFiberArts

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from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/2g0IfQk