With the Kids

Coloring Coffee Filter Snowflakes

We made paper snowflakes at our house last year, so I thought I’d try it a little different this time with coffee filters. Coffee filters are great for craft projects. Coffee filters are especially great for snowflakes as they already have a circle shape. That works out nicely! We brightened ours up with watercolors, bringing our snowflakes to life. I think they turn out beautiful.

Coloring Coffee Filter Snowflakes

Coloring Coffee Filter Snowflakes

Supplies for Watercolor Snowflakes:

  • tray
  • coffee filters
  • scissors
  • watercolor paints
  • water in a cup
  • paint brush or liquid dropper

Fold your coffee filter a few times and cut out some holes.

fold snowflake

cut snowflake

Place the snowflake into a tray with sides. I’m using an old cake pan that’s had it’s day and is now used for crafts. Then place 1, 2, or up to 5 snowflakes together onto the tray. Coffee filters are really thin and a few can be colored at a time. Then either using a regular paint brush or a liquid dropper, watercolor your snowflake.

paint snowflake

Color Snowflakes

Let them dry, hang them up, and enjoy the frosty snow indoors!

coloring snowflakes

Try these other snowflake craft projects:

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23 comments

  1. I remember doing this as a child and I didn’t remember how to make them! Thank you for posting this!! It is great!! I plan on doing this with my Sunday School Class this upcoming Sunday.

  2. My 5yr. old daughter and I did many of these and hung them on the ceiling all around the house with clear string and clear thumb tacks. She started singing “let it snow-let it snow-let it snow”. It was fun!

  3. I just had an idea—

    Instead of the paints, put water in disposable or reusable cups and put in drops of food color, offering the various shades of color, from light, to medium, to dark.
    And for a little more stability in keeping the cups upright, place up to twelve in a cupcake pan or carrier. I’ve used this method for other crafts I’ve done.
    I’ve just discovered Make and Takes about 15 minutes ago, and I’m already excited about it—I love this site!!

  4. I just happened to click on the link for Watercolor Snowflakes, it looked very cute and I’m trying to get a good selection of craft ideasthat my 3 1/2 year-old grandson can do together that is different from the “usual” ho-hum things, and this idea was a super one. I’m very glad I clicked on the link.
    I also read some of the comments left by some of the other readers, and got some got ideas for adjustments on the “brushing” the colors on the filters! And what a perfect time to do this very project!
    Thanks, I’ll be checking for more projects from this site! :_)

  5. I just had to leave a comment to tell you how much I love your site. I have two young children (6-year-old boy, 4-year-old girl) and I’ve tried a lot of your crafts and recipes. This one will definitely get used today … I have both kids home for a “cold” day as it is -11 degrees outside.

    Thanks for all the information AND inspiration!

  6. FUN! Great idea. We were actually going to make snowflakes today, but with the sun shining… Anyway, I’m totally going to use the coffee filters instead of paper. I love that they’re round. Thanx for the idea!

    Also, you can color the filters with markers and then spray with water. Fun, and the colors blend together beautifully.

  7. What a fun way to use up all my leftover coffee filters, since I now use the reusable filter…love the previous comment to try dipping the “snowflakes” in watered down paints as well as painting them!

  8. We just did this in our preschool a few days ago. I wish I would have seen your post first, it really needs paper towels underneath. It seeps right through. The kids had fun with it.

  9. I did this project with kindergartners when I was a teacher. The only difference was that we dipped the coffee filter in the watered down paint rather than painting it on. Very fun and colorful!

  10. I bought way to many coffe filters for the last time we used them for an art project. This will be perfect. I never thought of using a dropper, that will be perfect!!

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