{create} tissue snowflake tutorial

Thank you all so much for taking the time to comment on and share our red, white & silver christmas dessert table!! 

Here is the tutorial I promised for creating tissue snowflakes!

I hope I have described everything clearly enough for you!! Might be a good idea to look through all the instructions before you start! Any problems please let me know!! x

These instructions are for creating a small tissue snowflake, finished size approx 24cm.  You can create 4 of these small snowflakes from just one sheet of tissue!!

1. Take a single sheet of tissue paper

2. Cut into quarters (set three pieces aside, you just need one piece to create your snowflake) 

3 & 4. Working with the tissue paper in a portrait orientation, create an acordian fold approx 2cm thick. 

5. Collapse folds

6. Take one end and fold in half (width-wise), ready for cutting.  (You will be cutting both ends with an identical pattern, so keep the cuts for the first end in top half of length.)

7. Start with a rounded cut on the folded edge, then snip out a 'v'

8. Cut a long curved shape from the open edge.

 9. Now cut a longer curved shape from the folded edge
10. And finally a small curved shape from the open egde
11. Repeat these cuts at the other end (to make them the same at both ends, fold in half and trace your cuts from the first end)
12. Open flat, so that you can see the pattern you have created

13. Fold and create a crease in the centre
14. Open flat, and place a staple across the centre
15. Take a single layer from each half, and meet them up
16. Staple together at top and closer to the centre, then repeat for other side, so that you have a round fan shape.

Hang with transparent line.

Try changing the pattern to create different designs!  The one above has a simple rounded end, with just two curved shapes trimmed from each side.

Have fun...and as always we would love to see your creations!!

Tanya x

{real parties} christmas dessert table

One of my best friends, Heidi, recently asked me to help out with a dessert table for a Christmas quiz night she was planning for the local junior tee-ball club...how could I resist??

Working with a very limited budget (& timeframe), we created this gorgeous red, white and silver dessert table!!  

Guests enjoyed a delicious chocolate fountain with marshmallow snowmen, wafer sticks and strawberries...plus sweet treats; jaffas, cool mints, chocolate santas and sour straps!! ...You will notice the chocolate fountain missing from the images...unfortunately I only had a few moments to snap a couple of shots after it had been added and they are all a little blurry...needless to say, it was delicious!!

I hope you enjoy taking a look and maybe even get some ideas for a christmas function you have coming up!!

I love the simplicity of the red, white and silver...the twinkle of the glass and baubles, the shimmer of the silver and the texture of the tissue snowflakes...

Heidi set the guests tables with a white tablecloth, silver wire tinsel running down the length, a tinsel christmas tree for the centrepiece, and place settings of glittered bonbons & santa chocolates... clean, simple & stylish!

JOY ...I think this beautiful little three letter word sums up the festive season perfectly...full of lovely, joyful moments spent with family and friends!

Baubles and glass add a gorgeous Christmassy sparkle!!

The sweet tissue snowflakes & daisies in the background were inspired by a gorgeous dessert table by The Party Dress, (spotted over at Mon Tresor) ...when I saw them I thought they would be perfect over the silver backdrop ... so naturally (with very little time to spare) I thought "oooh I can make those"...hmmm not quite so easy!! The smaller ones turned out the best, and I think if created with a double layer of tissue the large ones would work much better!!

Would anyone like a tutorial on these??
(UPDATE: snowflake tutorial now posted!)

Tanya x