DIY: Porch Snowflakes!

It’s winter craft time here at Frugal Upstate and Walmart challenged me to come up with a new take on paper snowflakes.  It was perfect–for several years I’ve been wanting to decorate my porch with some sort of “snowflake” theme in January–something to combat the post Christmas decorating “blahs”.  That’s exactlg why I had used the Christmas Wreath Challenge to make a Snowflake wreath 🙂

I got the ideas for these porch snowflakes from the Martha Stewart website’s “Frosty Banners” (circa 2006).    They used “waterproof paper”–whatever that was.  I was sure I could figure out something different using supplies from Walmart.  So I headed off with my $30 spending limit in hand.

Right in the front of the stores was an area set up with organizational supplies–and right there was a large display for the Scotch Thermal Laminator.  Cost? $24.97.  Sure, it was practically my whole budget–but what else did I have to buy?  I picked up some fishing line in the sporting goods section and a package of the laminating pouches (50 for $13.95–yeah, I know it’s over budget, but I only used 18).  Copy paper and scissors I had at home.

The process was pretty easy.  I just created my snowflakes–the same way you do when you are kids.  I would open it and if I liked the pattern, I’d fold it back up and trace the pattern onto a blank one, or two, or three–I just didn’t trust myself to come up with too many variations 🙂

When they were done I unfolded them and put them into the laminating pouch:Then you just feed the pouch through the machine.  It grabs it and pulls it through automatically.  The “frosted” look to the laminating plastic changes to crystal clear when it’s laminated.

I cut off the excess, used a hole punch to make holes and attached them in strips of three with fishing line (if you don’t know how to tie fishing line, here’s a tutorial video “How to tie a fishing hook“).  I made a loop at the top (I have hooks already positioned on my porch–I used the ones that my large red Christmas ornaments usually hang from) and then tied the bottom to the porch railing.   When it’s time to take them down I will snip the bottom line, unhook it from the top and pack it away until next year.

You can’t see the fishing line or the lamination from the sidewalk, and they move and spin a bit in the wind–I think they look fantastic!  What do you think?

****This is a sponsored post****

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.