Wacky Wednesday #35: Snowflakes

Today I am a winter wonderland, covered in snowflakes. If you must call me a flake, be sure to use my full name: Snow Flake. It softens the blow.      

This costume has been particularly fun to make. Snowflakes are beautiful, so they are a pleasure to design. And there are seemingly endless possibilities as far as their configuration.

Did you ever make paper snowflakes as a kid? In elementary school we did them, and I remember it clearly. You had to cut part of your letter-sized paper off so that you started with a square. Then you fold, fold, fold and start cutting, cutting, cutting. Part of the magic was not knowing exactly how those cuts would look once you opened up your snowflakes. This remains true for me now: not knowing exactly what the cuts would turn into makes it a surprise for me, too. For some of my paper snowflakes I used coffee filters and different sized cupcake liners. This worked great: filters and baking cups come as circles, so I didn’t have to cut circles before starting. They are also a little more flexible than regular paper so they’re easier to fold. Last week my friend Ang gave me the coffee filters. She knows I like to turn regular items into wearable art, but she didn’t know that the filters would work beautifully for this week’s theme—after all, I don’t tell anyone my themes beforehand (even those who live with me!). Excellent timing, Ang. Thank you!

Since snowflakes have lots of detail, you can go a little crazy with embellishments like rhinestones and beads, which I already had in my art studio. It adds to the sparkly effect.

I started with a man’s blue dress shirt from the thrift store, because I thought the flakes would stand out nicely against the sky-blue background. The rest of the costume almost made itself, because I had buttons and felt that I could assemble into differently-shaped flakes. I found a bead at home that looked like a snowflakes, and I turned a few ornaments into earrings.

blue shirt (thrifted)                                                        $ 6

felt, doily, ornaments                                                    $ 3

embroidery floss, sparkly foam                                   $ 2

beads, sequins, buttons (already had)                       $ 0

coffee filters (from Ang)                                               $ 0

Total                                                                                 $11

When it’s sunny and shorts weather here in San Diego, the only way you’re going to get snowflakes is if you cut them yourself. It’s easy, festive and fun. Go ahead. NOW!

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