It’s no secret. I’m a big fan of Ana White…but, seriously, who isn’t? I’m a huge fan of several DIY bloggers, but Ana White was the first one I stumbled upon. If you don’t know who who she is, CHECK HER OUT.
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She recently posted about a new challenge she is hosting. Basically, you have to make a wooden snowflake. She provided a stencil to create a snowflake from a piece of plywood, but I really wanted to do something unique (if you know me, you know that is like the story of my life…”I wanted to do something different”). I was inspired by That’s My Letter’s Christmas tree shelf and Ana White’s snowflake challenge to make my own snowflake shelf. I looked on Pinterest before building to make sure no one had already had this idea haha. I found nothing, so I was good to go 🙂
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The build was pretty simple. The hardest part was getting the nail gun into all the weird angles. FYI keep in mind that everything was glued and nailed (no screws). While this will hold a significant amount of weight, it is not a good idea to weigh it down with heavy items.
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The size is fairly easy to modify, but mine was about 35″ in diameter.
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You will need:
18+ feet of 1×4 (I used about 18 feet of lumber, but you may want to get a little more in case you make a mistake in cutting)
Nail gun (nails no longer than 1 1/2″)
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I cut a piece of 1×4 at 35″ long and 4 pieces of 1×4 at 17″ long (at the longest point) with a 30 degree bevel on one end.
![IMG_4878[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48781.jpg?resize=1080%2C810)
Attach two 17″ pieces to the center of the 35″ piece with the nail gun and glue.
![IMG_4880[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48801.jpg?resize=1080%2C810)
The first two will be easy to nail, but with the other two, it’s hard to get the gun into the angles. Glue them to the other side of the 35″ piece and shoot a few nails in as best you can. Clamp like the picture below to hold it tight in place until the glue dries.
![IMG_4882[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48821.jpg?resize=1080%2C810)
While the glue dries, cut 12 pieces with 30 degree bevels on each end parallel to each other. These pieces should be six inches long.
![IMG_4883[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48831.jpg?resize=1080%2C1440)
Pair these pieces and glue and nail them together like the picture below.
![IMG_4885[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48851.jpg?resize=1080%2C1440)
Once the glue had dried, attach these triangles to the main body of the snowflake you made first. Use both glue and nails. Sometimes the angles will be difficult to get the nail gun into, but it is doable. Make sure you use plenty of glue in case your nails do not hold very well.
Add the triangles one at a time around the flake.
![IMG_4887[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48871.jpg?resize=1080%2C1440)
![IMG_4888[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48881.jpg?resize=1080%2C1440)
While that glue is drying, cut 12 pieces 3 1/2″ long (at the longest point) with a 30 degree bevel on one end.
![IMG_4889[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48891.jpg?resize=1080%2C810)
Attach these pieces to the end of each flake “arm” like the picture below. Use both glue and nails.
![IMG_4892[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48921.jpg?resize=1080%2C1440)
Let the glue dry well before hanging. You could paint or stain (if you didn’t get glue everywhere while you were making it haha), but I liked mine natural.
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I tied twine around mine to hang, but you could use ribbon or use picture frame hangers to hang yours.
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You can decorate however you would like. I kept it simple and used ornaments, pine cones, and fake gift boxes.
![IMG_4831[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48311.jpg?resize=1080%2C1440)
It’s kind of a beast…I could have stood to make it a little smaller, but whatever….it’s big enough to make a statement, right? haha.
![IMG_4829[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48291.jpg?resize=1080%2C1440)
Look at all those angles!! Don’t be intimidated. Angles never hurt anyone 🙂
![IMG_4833[1]](https://chasingadreamblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/img_48331.jpg?resize=1080%2C1350)
So what do you think of the GIANT wooden snowflake shelf?? If you wanted a deeper one, you could use a 1×6 or 1×8 (although that would be much heavier). If you make one yourself, I’d love to see your pictures!
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Don’t forget to pin for later!
For more pictures, sneak peeks, and info on fun things I am up to, be sure to follow along on Facebook (Woodshop Diaries) and Instagram (@woodshopdiaries). And be sure to sign up for email updates from this blog so you don’t miss out on upcoming projects!
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NOTE: As with any plans/tutorials on the site, I am happy to provide tutorials and inspire you to create your own wood crafts and furniture. However, please be respectful of the time that was put into creating and writing these instructions and ask permission before making these projects to sell for profit.
Sue Anne
November 30, 2015 at 9:49 amI love your snowflake shelf! You are so talented and creative. Thank you for sharing your projects and inspiring others to be creative. Merry Christmas!
runningwiththecopier
November 30, 2015 at 1:06 pmGreat project. Turned out beautiful.
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Laurence
December 8, 2015 at 1:08 pmJ’aime beaucoup cette idée !!
Je vais surement avoir du mal avec la conversion en centimètre mais je vais essayé…
Merci pour ce patage
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January 5, 2016 at 7:02 am[…] a wooden snowflake” challenge and I wanted to make something “different.” This is what I came up with. Ana White featured it on her site and I had more page views in the month of December just from […]
khanhngquynh
January 25, 2016 at 7:47 amThis is a stunning shelf for homeowners who want to decorate the house in this Christmas. Great inspiration!!
Love from Best shoes 2016 xoxo.
Shara, Chasing A Dream
January 25, 2016 at 11:24 amThank you!!
GREG GARDINER
October 9, 2016 at 9:19 pmI GUESS YOU NEED A MITER SAW ?
Shara, Woodshop Diaries
October 10, 2016 at 8:22 amYes, I used a miter saw for this project.
Rene Cauldwell
November 18, 2016 at 8:49 pmAbsolutely love this shelf we really going to try it!
Shara, Woodshop Diaries
November 20, 2016 at 8:26 amAwesome! So glad you liked it 🙂
Mason Martin
December 6, 2016 at 7:17 amI saw this on Pinterest 2 weeks ago , thought it would be a nice Christmas present for my Mom. I just finished it after about 1.5-2 weeks in my Woodshop class. I highly recommend having a friend to hold the pieces while you nail
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Adriana
June 16, 2017 at 4:11 amGood for you not using screws – it’s so tacky! Looks fine, a great project for the wintertime. I can imagine building something similar for my boy next winterseason as he is obsessed with snow (he’s adorable).
Shara, Woodshop Diaries
June 16, 2017 at 8:41 amThank you! So glad you enjoyed the project and I’m sure your little boy will love the one you make for him!
Renelle
November 13, 2017 at 10:32 amWhat would the best length to buy for the boards? 8 feet? 10?
Amazing project. I’m obsessed with snowflakes so having a giant one in my house would be a dream come true!
Shara, Woodshop Diaries
November 21, 2017 at 4:05 pmHi! I typically buy 8 foot boards. I think that would leave you with the least scraps 🙂
Delana Cornejo
December 7, 2017 at 12:46 pmI am making this snow flake shelf today, but just a bit smaller size.
Shara, Woodshop Diaries
January 7, 2018 at 9:05 amAwesome! So glad you liked the project 🙂
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December 15, 2017 at 8:21 pm[…] Shelf & Christmas Village Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow this holiday season with this super cute and functional DIY snowflake shelf by Shara of Woodshop Diaries. All you need are wooden boards, glue and nails. When you’re […]
Mike
January 10, 2018 at 10:53 pmI am not following why you chose to make 30 degree cuts on both sides of the pieces that form the star and then join them the way you did to where one side is longer than the other as this causes the points not to be even or centered opposite the angle of the cross bars. Was this intentional or an oversight?
Shara, Woodshop Diaries
January 12, 2018 at 6:39 pmIt was intentional. You could cut six of the pieces shorter if you wish. I just cut the this way because it made it faster to cut them all the same length and it made it easy to join them at the tip. Plus, my miter saw isn’t capable of cutting them at 60 degrees to join them evenly at the tip.
Pete
November 27, 2018 at 1:00 pmLove it. Just finished a slightly smaller one for my wife. One tip I found is to use a stop block on your miter saw when cutting the pieces for the inner triangles, then once you glue and nail each half of the point together, take them back to the miter saw with the stop block still in place and cut the long end to match. This is a simple step that eliminates having to cut some boards to a different length and aligns the points to the center to look better. Thanks for the guide and inspiration!
Shara, Woodshop Diaries
December 15, 2018 at 9:55 amGreat tips! Thank you for sharing!
Maeve
December 1, 2018 at 6:07 pmMade this tonight. Yours looks great, mine not so much. The Ryobi brad nailer does not fit, at all. The very center is not pretty on mine – nails everywhere even after pulling a bunch of half sunk ones! Not sure how sturdy it will be. Like the concept, may try again on a larger model. Thanks for sharing.
Shara, Woodshop Diaries
December 15, 2018 at 9:49 amOh yes the Ryobi nailer is much larger than my bostitch nail gun. But, the glue should help keep it fairly sturdy even if all the nails didn’t sink as well as you’d liked.