This Winter Break Wonders activity is inspired by Dale Chihuly’s sculpture, Azure Icicle Chandelier, found on the bridge of the Modern Art Gallery. Learn more about this artwork, then design your own colorful snowflakes!

 

 

 

Look Closer:

• What do you see? What does this artwork remind you of? How might it feel if you could touch it?
• Dale Chihuly created the Azure Icicle Chandelier specifically for Crystal Bridges’ gallery bridge to reflect the water, light, and glass on each side of the space. 
• Chihuly creates glass sculptures using gravity to make organic shapes. Snowflakes also form organically as they fall from the sky. For today’s project, learn how to make your own unique snowflakes while at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activity: Design a Snowflake!

 

 

Materials Needed:

Paper 

Scissors

Optional: pencil, coloring tools such as markers or crayons, string, or tape

 

 

Instructions:

Step 1: To create a square, fold your sheet of paper to make a right angle. 

Step 2: Use your pencil to mark the extra paper (that looks like a rectangle). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3: Unfold the paper and use your scissors to cut the line you have drawn. 

Step 4: To start, fold your square to make a right angle triangle again. Repeat this step three more times and cut the excess. 

Step 5: To create your snowflake design, cut small shapes along the folds. If you have a spare pencil, you can draw these shapes before cutting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 6: Once you have finished cutting, unfold your paper, and admire your work!

Step 7 (optional): To hang your snowflakes, attach string or tape to your snowflake. Add color to your snowflakes using markers, crayons, or anything else you can find. You can even outline the shapes of your holes. 

 

 

Explore more works by Chihuly in the collection:

• Dale Chihuly, Floats, 2014-2017
• Dale Chihuly, Turquoise Reeds and Ozark Fiori, 2012
• Dale Chihuly, Sole d’Oro, 2017

 

Book Recommendations:

Want to learn more about the winter season? Here are some books we recommend for further learning!

• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Dream Snow by Eric Carle
• Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak
• Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

 

Have fun!

Written by Cayla Jones, museum educator, Crystal Bridges.

 

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Youth and Family programming is supported in part by AMP Sign & Banner, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Juan, Marcy and Joaquin Camacho, The Coca-Cola Company, iHeart Media, JTH Productions, Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Pinnacle Car Services, Procter & Gamble, Gordon and Carole Segal, The Simmons Family Fund, and ViacomCBS Consumer Products.

Education and Learning is supported in part by Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, The Northern Trust Company, Pamela and Wayne Garrison, Doug and Shelley McMillon, Jack and Melba Shewmaker Family, Neff and Scarlett Basore, Galen and Debi Havner, Lance and Sharon Beshore, Cardinal Four Foundation, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Harry Cornell, Cox Communications, Dorothy Hurt, J.M. Smucker Company, Kimberly-Clark, Nice-Pak Products, Inc., The Russell Berrie Foundation, Stephen and Claudia Strange, Felix and Margaret Wright.