Nothing says classic winter beauty like the wonder of snowflakes. First captured on film by Wilson Bentley in 1885, these hexagonal crystalline forms fall by the millions every winter covering the landscape in delicate white blankets of snow. Just like us, every snowflake that falls to earth is a one-of-a-kind form. This unique beauty has inspired art and artists for decades.
Although it seems a bit odd that you would be capturing ice with fire, snowflakes make excellent glass projects. Capturing them in a medium such as glass allows you to enjoy their beauty without ever having to worry about finding your mittens, Kevlar gloves maybe, but no mittens. As a child, one of my favorite winter pastimes was cutting paper snowflakes. Just like the real thing, each snowflake I made was different and as an adult, I still enjoy this craft as much as I did when I was 7. Now I can imagine you are already shaking your head at me saying:
"Are you suggesting I put paper snowflakes in my kiln?!?"
And my answer is, Yes. Yes, I am.
By creating paper snowflakes from fusible kiln paper, you can create these timeless decorations out of paper and capture them permanently in glass. This is a great project that can be done with the entire family, as children can assist with cutting the paper.
To create paper snowflakes, you will need to cut a square of fusible paper, such as Bullseye ThinFire Kiln Shelf Paper or Spectrum Glass Papyros Kiln Shelf Paper.
*Temperatures and hold times may vary as each kiln is unique.
Project shown created by Cere Seddon.
Although it seems a bit odd that you would be capturing ice with fire, snowflakes make excellent glass projects. Capturing them in a medium such as glass allows you to enjoy their beauty without ever having to worry about finding your mittens, Kevlar gloves maybe, but no mittens. As a child, one of my favorite winter pastimes was cutting paper snowflakes. Just like the real thing, each snowflake I made was different and as an adult, I still enjoy this craft as much as I did when I was 7. Now I can imagine you are already shaking your head at me saying:
"Are you suggesting I put paper snowflakes in my kiln?!?"
And my answer is, Yes. Yes, I am.
By creating paper snowflakes from fusible kiln paper, you can create these timeless decorations out of paper and capture them permanently in glass. This is a great project that can be done with the entire family, as children can assist with cutting the paper.
To create paper snowflakes, you will need to cut a square of fusible paper, such as Bullseye ThinFire Kiln Shelf Paper or Spectrum Glass Papyros Kiln Shelf Paper.
- Fold your square in half on the diagonal (corner to corner) to create a triangle.
- Fold your triangle in half again to make a smaller triangle.
- Fold your small triangle into thirds.
- Cut the top wings from your folded triangle to ensure a uniform design.
- Cut your snowflake details. Be sure not to cut all the way through from one side to the other.
- Layer your glass with your snowflakes in between. This is because your snowflakes need to be capped when fired - be sure to use a transparent cap to ensure your snowflakes are visible. For a suncatcher, be sure to use all transparent glass to allow sunlight to illuminate your project.
- Fire your project. We have provided a suggested full fuse firing schedule below.
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| Segment 1 | 300 F/hr | 1000 F | 30-75 minutes (to allow binder to burn off) |
| Segment 2 | 300 F/hr | 1250 F | 30 minutes (to minimize air bubbles) |
| Segment 3 | 300 F/hr | 1450 F | 10 minutes |
| Segment 4 | See appropriate COE below | ||
| 90 COE | FULL | 900 F | 30 minutes |
| 96 COE | FULL | 950 F | 30 minutes |
*Temperatures and hold times may vary as each kiln is unique.
Project shown created by Cere Seddon.
