‘Tis the season to spread a little joy!
Many piano teachers love giving little gifts to students at this time of the year. We want gifts that are:
- Affordable
- Simple to make
- Seasonal, yet appropriate for all students regardless of what holiday they celebrate
- And a real bonus, but one we can’t always wrap up in a gift, is the ability to personalize the gift, or encourage our students musically.
These lace snowflakes tick all of the boxes, especially when given with the printable card (scroll to see image below). Keep reading to find out how!
DIY Snowflake Tree Ornaments
Beauty and encouragement all wrapped up in one gift!
Each student is unique, just like a snowflake. The card says, “Just like a snowflake…you are one of a kind.” And to the card you can attach a little homemade lace snowflake that reminds the student that there’s no one else quite like them. The student can display the little ornament for the season or for the winter. It may be hung on their Christmas tree, if they like.
Inside the card the teacher may also write a short note following, “Here’s something unique about you.” This is the truly encouraging part, for you can choose words that will remind your student of what they do best!
It’s a truly heartwarming gift and one that I’m sure will give you great joy to give.
Materials
You’ll need the following:
- Printable Snowflake cards — Newsletter followers get them FREE in my Printables section!
Not a follower? It’s the most wonderful time of year to join!
- White lace (*See Step 1 for guidance on how much lace you’ll need.)
- Thread
- Seasonal floss
You’ll also need:
- A ruler or tape measure
- Scissors
- A sewing needle
Step 1
Measure and cut the lace.
Note: You may want to make one snowflake all the way through to test the best length and process for the lace you have.
White lace that is not gathered is the best, though pre-gathered lace can still work.
If your lace is 2 to 2.5 cm wide, cut in lengths of 11.5 to 12 cm (1″ wide, cut in lengths of about 4 1/2″) per snowflake. When you’re purchasing lace, multiply the number of snowflakes you’d like to make by your measurement of choice.
If your lace is approximately 5 cm wide, cut in lengths of 16 cm (about 2 1/2″ wide, cut in lengths of about 6″). In other words, the wider your lace, the longer you will need to cut it to get a good circle.
Step 2
With each piece of cut lace, sew a running stitch along one edge.
Prior to sewing, tie a knot at the end of the piece of thread to prevent unravelling. Sew a running stitch in a straight line along one edge of the lace, beginning at one end and finishing at the other.
Step 3
Gather the lace.
Holding the thread tight, pull the lace back towards the first knot to gather.
When finished, your circle of lace should look like a snowflake.
Step 4
Sew finishing stitches.
Continue sewing with the same thread. Stitch several times through the centre of the gathered lace to fix the edges of the lace together. Tie a knot to prevent unravelling. Cut thread.
Step 5
Sew in a seasonal floss hanger.
Cut floss to 20 cm length for each snowflake (about 7 1/2″).
Find the spot where the two lace ends meet. Overlap and stitch floss through both layers of lace and back. Tie the floss together and trim the excess. When floss is pulled, it will hold together and hide the loose ends of the lace and form the top of the snowflake.
Step 6
Give your beautiful snowflakes by attaching them to this charming card design.
Rather than a formal mid-year report card, this gives you a chance to wrap up thoughts of student progress in a little seasonal gift, with a message about how special they are.
On the front of the card it says, “Just like a snowflake…” and when the student opens the card it finishes with, “…you are one of a kind!” Beneath these words there’s room to tape on the lace snowflake.
There’s also a space where you can give each student a little feedback, “Here’s something unique about you…” so you can add personal words of encouragement.
Three ways to give this gift
This is a gift and feedback all in one! You can choose one of three ways to give it to your piano students!
- You can sew these little gifts for your students! Then print the cards in full colour, write encouraging words, place the snowflakes inside, and give them out.
- Worried you won’t have time to make the snowflakes this year? No problem! The card is special all on its own!
- Have time to make the snowflakes but worried you won’t have time to write student feedback? Depending on the number of students you teach, your feedback can simply say something short and sweet like, “I love how creative you are!” (Or, insert any word, like “enthusiastic,” “curious,” or anything you like!
How to get your printable card FREE!
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Video of the Week!
White Drift (Late Intermediate, Level 6). Imagine big white snowflakes swirling through the air. This piece captures the excitement of the first snow or any important day — a white wedding dress, the clean white pages on the first day of school, the feeling of a clean slate or starting over. It’s in C-sharp minor and the black and white key pattern makes it simple to teach and learn by rote! When the thumb tucks on the white keys, the melody falls very naturally under the hands. White Drift is included in the print and studio-licensed eBook, The Color Collection, and as a studio-licensed White Drift eSheet.
Rebekah Maxner 
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