How to Stiffen Snowflakes

This is the method that I personally use for stiffening pieces to have a nice firm Snowflake and the desired shape.  Several of the Snowflakes are particularly dependent on stiffening to obtain and hold their shape.  I prefer to save all the Snowflakes that I have created until I have a nice sized pile and stiffen them all in a single batch.  

1. Part 1: Gather your Materials
2. Part 2: Prepare your Space and Blocking Surface 
3. Part 3: Pinning Out Snowflakes for Stiffening / Blocking with Stiffener.
4. Links to Snowflake Patterns
5. Snowflake Blocking Templates (PDF download)

Part 1: Gather your Materials

Before you start it is a good idea to gather all the materials that you will need to work the entire process. 

You will need:

• Your completed Snowflakes to stiffen
• Fabric stiffener: such as Aleene’s Fabric Stiffener & Draping Liquid
• Water
• Some small containers (old clean cottage cheese or cool whip containers are good for this)
• Rust proof pins (easiest with “T-pins” or other pins with heads)
• Blocking foam or cardboard (I use my blocking boards but any cardboard or surface that can hold a pin will work)
• Snowflake pinning templates (Download Templates at the End of Post)
• Plastic wrap or Waxed paper
• Clean towel to dry hands on in between Snowflakes

Part 2: Prepare your Space and Blocking Surface 

1. You may wish to begin by protecting the surface you are going to be working on.  While this is not an overly messy process, I tend to get drops of stiffener around my entire work area.  
2. Prepare the blocking surface by placing your printout of the template on your blocking board or cardboard and covering it with a smooth layer of plastic wrap (or waxed paper) and pinning it into place.  (You can leave this intact and reuse the blocking surface many times)
3. Make sure that all your containers are clean. If you are doing multiple Snowflakes, I recommend filling two containers with clean water, if just a few pieces, you can fill just one container. 
4. In another clean container, mix a glob of fabric stiffener with water. I recommend having about equal amounts/proportions of water and stiffener.  I have found that while more stiffener results in a stiffer Snowflake it is also more likely to warp in unplanned ways as it dries.  The use of equal amounts should result in a Snowflake with a little flexibility and minimal warping.  You may wish to play with the ratio of water:stiffener until it suits your personal preferences and obtains the end result you desire. 
5. Check your working area and make sure it is clear of any visible quantities of dust, lint, fuzz, hair, etc. You do not want to have those stuck to your Snowflakes when they are completed.

Part 3: Pinning Out Snowflakes for Stiffening / Blocking with Stiffener.

1. Wet your Snowflakes. (I place all my pieces into the container of clean water at once) (Left image below)
2. Take the individual Snowflake that you want to work with out of the water and gently squeeze out some of the excess liquid.
3. Place the Snowflake into the mixed stiffening mixture (from step 2) and make sure you have it fully coated/covered. (Right image below)
4. Remove the Snowflake from the stiffening mixture and gently squeeze off any excess mixture back into the same container.
5. Give the Snowflake and your fingers a quick dip in water. (I leave the Snowflake pressed in my hand for this step. The goal is to remove any dripping stiffening mixture (you want to wash it off of, but not out of the Snowflake). 

6. Gently pull the Snowflake flat with your fingers, from the center towards the outer points, taking particular care to flatten out picots and petals as well as untwist any chain structures while obtaining the desired shape. 

7. Lay the Snowflake on the pinning surface and begin pinning it into the shape that you desire.
   1. Place your pins from the center out (marked in the image below: Red>Orange>Green>Blue).
   2. Alternate sides of the Snowflake when placing symmetrical pins (think North then South, East then West,…)
   3. Pull the Snowflake a bit as you are pinning, putting a minimal amount of tension on the piece as the Snowflake will “grow” a little when drying and you will need this extra space to maintain the proper shaping. 
   4. Use the guidelines of the template to help achieve symmetry. 
   5. Don’t worry if your piece is not exactly perfect… neither are real Snowflakes. Each is unique to itself, including the errors… and still exquisite to look at, just as your creations are!

Links to Snowflake Patterns

If you are looking for more snowflake patterns you can visit my Snowflake Pattern Index. Many of my snowflake patterns are available for free, the rest are available in my Ravelry and Etsy shops.

Snowflake Blocking Templates (PDF download)

Template for Larger Snowflakes (2 circles per page)

Template for Smaller Snowflakes (4 circles per page)