{"title":"How to Make a Clothespin Snowflake (Easy Christmas Ornament)","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/crafts/how-to-make-a-clothespin-snowflake","category":{"slug":"crafts","name":"Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"She's Crafty and She Knows It","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0meXMJhgvCxOH1z-hySJ2Q","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLVy5behZvw"},"tldr":"Turn 16 wooden clothespins into a layered snowflake ornament with hot glue. Leave it natural or paint it white and add glitter.","quickAnswer":"Turn 16 wooden clothespins into a layered snowflake ornament with hot glue. An easy project: about 45 minutes, plus 1 hour to dry or set. Materials cost about $3 to $8. You need 12 things, including 8 regular wooden clothespins, 8 mini wooden clothespins and hot glue sticks. The 9 steps start with pull the Springs Out of the Wooden Clothespins and hot Glue the Clothespin Halves Flat Side to Flat Side.","totalDurationSeconds":451,"videoDurationSeconds":451,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":45,"waitMinutes":60,"totalMinutes":105,"estimatedCost":{"currency":"USD","min":3,"max":8},"yield":"1 snowflake ornament"},"tools":["hot glue gun","paper plate","paint brush or foam brush","disposable gloves"],"materials":["8 regular wooden clothespins","8 mini wooden clothespins","hot glue sticks","flat white spray paint","matte Mod Podge","fine glitter","chunky glitter","twine or wire for hanging"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Pull the Springs Out of the Wooden Clothespins","text":"Start with 8 regular wooden clothespins and 8 mini ones. Hold a clothespin by both halves and twist them in opposite directions. The wood pops apart and the metal spring comes free. Some springs are stubborn, so give them a firm wiggle. Do this for every clothespin, large and small, and set the springs aside. Then plug in your glue gun so it heats up while you work."},{"number":2,"title":"Hot Glue the Clothespin Halves Flat Side to Flat Side","text":"Each clothespin half has a flat side and a notched side. Put a line of hot glue on the flat side of one half and press the flat side of a matching half onto it. The notched sides now face out, and the piece looks like a long diamond. Glue all of them this way. You end with 8 large pieces and 8 mini pieces."},{"number":3,"title":"Lay Four Clothespin Pieces in a Cross for the Snowflake Base","text":"Take four of the large pieces. Lay them in a cross so the wide ends touch in the center and the narrow ends point out. Glue them together where they meet. Hold each piece straight until the glue grabs, because the way it sets is the way it stays. If you plan to paint, the center can be a little messy, since another snowflake covers it."},{"number":4,"title":"Glue Four More Clothespin Pieces Between the Arms of the Snowflake","text":"Now fill the gaps. Put a good dab of glue on the wide end of another large piece and push it into one of the gaps between the arms of the cross. Hold it a few seconds until it sets. Repeat with the last three pieces. You now have an eight point snowflake. Prop it on a paper plate so the glue on the back does not stick to the table."},{"number":5,"title":"Build the Mini Clothespin Snowflake the Same Way","text":"Repeat steps three and four with the eight mini pieces. Glue four into a cross, then add four between the arms. This one sits on top, so be neater. Use small dots of glue, keep the arms straight, and pull away any glue strings. If you plan to leave the wood unpainted, take extra care here, because every blob will show."},{"number":6,"title":"Stack the Mini Clothespin Snowflake Offset on the Large One","text":"Set the mini snowflake on top of the large one. Turn it slightly so its arms sit between the big arms instead of right on top of them. That offset gives you the layered, sixteen point look. Put a generous blob of glue on the back of the mini snowflake's center and press it down. Add a twine or wire loop on the back now if you want a hanger."},{"number":7,"title":"Spray Paint the Clothespin Snowflake White","text":"Take the snowflake outside and lay it on a trash bag or cardboard. Wear gloves. Spray it with flat white paint in light passes, holding the can about a foot away. Get into all the small gaps and notches. Let the front dry, flip it and spray the back. Two thin coats look better than one heavy one, which can drip."},{"number":8,"title":"Brush Mod Podge Over the Painted Clothespin Snowflake","text":"When the paint is fully dry, set the snowflake on a paper plate. Brush a coat of matte Mod Podge over the front, working into the gaps around the center. The Mod Podge is the glue that holds the glitter, so cover every arm you want to sparkle. Work one section at a time if it starts to dry before you get to the glitter."},{"number":9,"title":"Sprinkle Glitter Onto the Wet Clothespin Snowflake","text":"While the Mod Podge is still wet, sprinkle glitter over it. Sarah uses a fine glitter in the center and a chunkier one on the arms for contrast. Pinch it on with your fingers or shake it from the jar. Tap off the extra over the plate and pour it back. Let it dry, then hang it or stand it on a shelf."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-11-14T14:48:19.317Z","published":"2026-11-14T14:48:19.091Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}