Have y’all seen the TikTok tutorial on making 3D paper snowflakes using paper lunch bags? It’s so fun! You can view the original video here, and keep reading for our tips and tricks for doing this fun Christmas craft with kids!

Well, I had to try it. Since I was too impatient to dig out my hot glue gun I wanted my kid’s to be able to do it, I used Elmer’s glue. I made a test snowflake with brown paper lunch bags to see if it would hold up, and used a paper clip (or 3) to secure it and hang it from the ceiling with fishing line.

Once that was a big hit and I found white paper lunch bags (thanks, Walmart pickup!), I set it up so the kids could make their own, too. Also, counting out the bags totally counts as an educational activity for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Yay, learning!

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Here’s our tips and tricks:

• Elmer’s glue worked for us, and will save the safety hazard of having kids near a hot glue gun (unless your kids actually listen, in which case you do you, as you’re clearly parenting level expert).
• A paper clip kept slipping when gravity was working against it, but binder clips worked really well for us. Depending on how high you’re hanging it, or how sturdy your paper clips are, you may be able to make it work or hide the binder clip. Using a paper clip or binder clip lets you fold it flat to store for next year, but if that’s not your thing you can glue it open and not have to worry about the clips.
• 8 paper bags made a nice, full paper snowflake. 6 worked, but I didn’t find it as pretty.
• The kids had a really hard time cutting through 8 paper bags, so I had them draw their design in pencil, and then I cut it out for them. Another option would be to cut the designs before gluing the bags together, but you could lose the perfect symmetry if you go that route. My kids weren’t psyched about the cutting out part, so it worked out well for us.
• Fishing line worked well for hanging such that the snowflakes look more like they’re floating. You can save it to reuse next year, or cut into small pieces and follow these directions to recycle it. Fishing line is super dangerous for wildlife, so use responsibly.
• You could also cut the bags down to make various sizes of snowflakes!

What are your favorite Christmas crafts to do with kids?