Try this twist on old fashioned cut paper snowflakes by making these fun name art paper snowflakes. This easy winter art project is simple and fun!

Paper snowflakes are kind of a trademark childhood craft. Everyone should have the memory of opening that folded paper up to see what kind of magical design they created!  Incorporate your child’s name into the cut paper design to add a new level of design and interest!

Cut paper snowflake supplies….

This project is easy on supplies and doesn’t take much!  You will need some lightweight paper, white or otherwise.  You’ll need a pencil, a pair of scissors, and any marker in a pale color.  I like using a traditional cone tipped Crayola for this project.  That fat tip works perfectly for what you need! We have this huge set of forty colors of Crayola markers– it’s so much fun!

Try this twist on old fashioned cut paper snowflakes by making these fun name art paper snowflakes.  This easy winter art project is simple and fun!

Getting started…. 

It;s easiest to start each snowflake with a circle shape cut of paper. Since this is a pretty quick and easy process you’ll want to make more than one snowflake.  Try making some circles of different sizes.  Use a compass or grab a set of mixing bowls and trace away!

Keep in mind that depending on the length of the name or word you will be using for each snowflake will help you determine how big of a circle to being with!  Long names will be muuuuuch easier to cut out of a larger diameter circle.

Try this twist on old fashioned cut paper snowflakes by making these fun name art paper snowflakes.  This easy winter art project is simple and fun!

Getting started with paper snowflakes…

These name art snowflakes start just like any other cut paper snowflake. Fold each paper in half, in quarters, and then into eighths.

Next take a light colored marker and draw your name, or any word you choose, sitting on the folded edge of your eighth of a circle.  Choose print or cursive, whichever comes easiest to your young artist.

Now, you could certainly sketch this in pencil.  The reason I suggest using a light colored marker is because it allows for easily thickening lines until they touch the bottom, folded edge.  Keep thickening lines until the letters touch each other as well.  Skipping this step will result in your snowflake falling to pieces during the cutting stage.  Where the letters connect to each and to the folded edge are the connections that will hold your snowflake into the circular shape.

If your kiddo is struggling with the idea of why these connections are so important grab a scrap of paper from the recycling bin and let them try to create a paper snowflake with no connections between the letters.  It’s a short experiment. 😉

Try this twist on old fashioned cut paper snowflakes by making these fun name art paper snowflakes.  This easy winter art project is simple and fun!

Cut those name art paper snowflakes…..

Now for the cutting! The spaces that are filled in with colored marker will stay.  Anything that’s left white will be cut away.  Use a pair of scissors to cut any white spaces away, being careful to leave those connections between letters!

Carefully open up each snowflake. This is a great time to talk about the geometry concept of rotation.  (We might as well squeeze a little STEAM in there, right?)

The original name shape can be difficult to pick out.  Turn the snowflake to the back so the marker is visible.  Now you can easily see the original name shape and how it has been flipped and rotated around the entire 360 degrees.

Let’s do it again…

The hardest part of these name art paper snowflakes is understanding the idea that the name must sit on that folded edge and that each letter must be connected to another letter.  Once your kiddos get that ideas these snowflakes will be quick little projects that they will want to make over and over again!

I love that these paper snowflakes use text as a major part of the design.  This is a fun and easy way to help kids see letters simply as a shape.  Whether your kiddos are just learning to write and need a little help or they’re old enough to have fun manipulating each letter shape they can have fun with the process!

And, I don’t know about you, but when I make traditional paper snowflakes, I tend to get stuck using an endless combination of diamond and heart shapes.  These name art paper snowflakes force your kids out of those habits and encourage new shapes and designs!

Try this twist on old fashioned cut paper snowflakes by making these fun name art paper snowflakes.  This easy winter art project is simple and fun!

More snowflake art projects…

Snowflakes are such a great source of artistic inspiration.  Obviously, they’re each unique and offer so many possibilities.  Since they’re not associated with a holiday they’re appropriate all winter long!  Add a non fiction book or two and you’ve got a ready made snowflake unit!

All of these snowflake art projects use simple projects!  Paper, markers, and watercolors are all you need for a whole handful of winter inspired art!

Cut paper snowflakes- notan style

Lacy watercolor snowflakes

The easiest way to draw a snowflake

Coffee filter snowflakes with watercolor

Wax paper resist snowflake painting

Try this twist on old fashioned cut paper snowflakes by making these fun name art paper snowflakes.  This easy winter art project is simple and fun!

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