Quilled Snowflake Patterns

Would you believe more people search this site for snowflake patterns than anything else all year long?! I suppose it's not really too surprising... if a person is familiar with quilling, they're probably also aware of how beautifully it meshes with intricate snowflakes.

I promised another snowflake pattern a while ago, so to make it up to you, I actually have three pretties to share today, thanks to two quilling friends who generously provided the photos and instructions.

If you've never quilled before, you may want to refer to my Quilling Basics or Quilling 101 tutorials that show techniques and tools. There's no need to buy special paper until you see if you like making snowflakes - 1/8 inch strips of basic computer paper will work just fine. This helpful lined grid can be printed out and placed under a sheet of clear acrylic. Use it as a guide while assembling coils and the result will be a perfectly balanced snowflake.

Snowflake 1
Make:
3 inch loose coil (make 1)
2 inch heart scroll - glue coils together at top (make 6)
1 inch tight coil (make 6)
3 inch marquise/cat eye (make 12)

2 inch V scroll - glue coils together at top (make 6)

Refer to the picture above and work outward from the center:

Glue the heart scrolls evenly around the loose coil.
Glue a tight coil inside the point of each heart scroll.
Glue a marquise between each heart scroll.
Glue a V scroll point between the coils of each heart scroll.
Glue a marquise to each V scroll between the coils.

Snowflake 2
Make:
1 inch tight coil (make 6)
2 inch heart scroll (make 6)
3 inch marquise (make 12)
2 inch tight coil (make 6)
4 inch marquise (make 6)

Refer to the picture above and work outward from the center:

Glue two 3 inch marquises together to form little teepees. Allow to dry thoroughly.
Glue the six pairs of marquises to one another forming a circle. Allow circle to dry.
Glue a 2 inch tight coil between each marquise pair on the outside of the circle.
Glue a heart scroll on the inside of each marquise pair.
Glue a 1 inch tight coil at the top of each heart scroll between the coils.
Glue a 4 inch marquise perpendicular to each marquise pair.

The first two patterns were designed by Deb Mackes who makes really lovely flakes and doesn't even use a grid to line up the coils - amazing! She has also shared a couple of patterns in the past that you'll find here and here.

Deb suggests using clear acrylic spray and iridescent dust to add strength and shimmer to quilled snowflakes. She sprinkles the dust on immediately after spraying so it adheres well, and gives it just a light sprinkling to prevent clogging the airy coils.

The third and more complex snowflake pattern [edit: no longer available] can be found on the website of the North American Quilling Guild. It was created by Molly Smith of the blog, It's Molly Smith, and would be a lovely one to try once you've mastered simpler patterns - not that it's harder to do, just more time consuming. Making snowflakes is methodical and satisfying because they're just so pretty!

A big thanks to both Deb and Molly for sharing their expertise. Think {paper} snow!

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