3D Tatted Snowflake Ornament

Take a normal tatted snowflake and make it into a fancy little 3D tatted snowflake ornament! Years ago, when I made a tatted snowflake on an ornament, I thought it would be fun to make it 3D. I sat on this for a few years and then finally did it last year. Then, I finally redid it this year for you here! Enjoy and let me know if you run into any confusion while tatting.

Instructable 297

Step 1: Supplies

Supplies:

• Size 10 Crochet Thread (I used a glittery/silvery white one)
• Size 5 Tatting Needle or if you use a different size, just make sure your needle and thread work together
• Scissors

That's really about it.

I also like to use tapestry needles (dull needle) to hide my ends & help me pull string through picots, and a piece of string or ornament hook to hang it on the tree.

Optional supplies for finishing:

• Iron
• Spray Starch

Terms:

• R = Ring
• Ch = Chain
• - = Picot
• + = Join to existing picot
• K - knot
• / = Reverse Picot (tat the first half of a normal double stitch twice, leave space for a picot, tat the second half of the double stitch twice)

Step 2: Center Part 1

To begin, we need to create the center.

• Start by tatting 3 Picot 3 Picot 3 Picot 3, tie off.
• Start your next ring right next to the first, tat 3, attach to the last picot of the last ring, 3 Picot 3 Picot 3
• Repeat until you have 5 rings
• For the last ring, start by tatting 3 and attach to the last picot of the last ring, 3 Picot 3, attach to the first picot of the first ring, 3
• Close out the ring and make sure they are all attached together in the middle.

Written Directions:

• R 3-3-3-3 K
• R 3+3-3-3 K
• R 3+3-3-3 K
• R 3+3-3-3 K
• R 3+3-3-3 K
• R 3+3-3+3 K connect string in center so all rings are connected

You should now have a nice collection of 6 connected rings.

Step 3: Center Part 2

Time to connect the next center piece.

Start by threading your thread through the center of the ring grouping.

Start a ring by tatting 3, attach your thread to the connection between two rings

continue with tatting 3 picot, tat 3, Picot, tat 3 and close the ring and knot.

Tat another ring of tat 3, connect to previous ring's last picot, tat 3, picot, tat 3, picot, tat 3, close ring and knot.

Finish this side by tatting 3, connect to previous ring's last picot, tat 3, picot, tat 3, connect to the space between two rings from the pink base, tat 3, close ring and connect all rings together in center.

Now you should have three rings.

Bring your needle and ball thread through the center of the ring cluster. You can either detach your string from the ball to make this easier, or just pull it through and work with it until you are done and then cut it.

Repeat what you just did on this side so that you have three more rings that mirror the other side.

Once you finish, tie everything up and hide the threads. You should have a nice base as you can see below.

Written Directions:

• Connect thread through center of ring collection
• R 3 + 3 - 3 - 3 k
• R 3 + 3 - 3 - 3 k
• R 3 + - 3 + 3 k, cut and hide ends
• Bring needle and thread through center to the other side
• R 3 + 3 - 3 - 3 k
• R 3 + 3 - 3 - 3 k
• R 3 + 3 - 3 + 3 k, cut and hide ends

Step 4: Exterior Part 1

Starting all by itself, tat a ring: 2, Picot, 2, Picot, 2 Picot, 2, Picot, 2, knot

Start a chain by tatting 3, then do a reverse Picot, and tat 3 more. Leave it on the needle.

Connect to a picot of one of the edge rings (below).

Tat 3 more, reverse picot, tat 3 more and knot.

Tat another ring 2, picot, 2, picot, 2, picot, 2, picot, 2, close ring and knot.

Repeat this pattern around the center (here it is the yellow). Continue to connect to the picots on the rings of the yellow center.

When you connect to the last ring in the center going around, stop at the end of the chain and attach it to the base of your first ring.

Tie it up and hide the ends.

Just one more section left after this!

Written Directions:

• R 2-2-2-2-2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• R 2-2-2-2-2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• R 2-2-2-2-2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• R 2-2-2-2-2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• R 2-2-2-2-2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• R 2-2-2-2-2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 connect to the base of the first ring and knot and hide ends

Step 5: Exterior Part 2

Alright! We are at the home stretch.

Start by getting yourself connected to the base of one of the rings from the exterior. It needs to be one of the rings on the ends of the center piece as shown in the image above.

Start a chain of 3, a reverse picot, 3

Now, connect to the picot of the first ring. Continue with 3, a reverse picot, 3 and knot.

Now we are going to continue like the first part of the exterior. Create a ring 2, picot, 2, picot, 2, picot, 2, picot, 2 close ring and knot. Chain attaching to the next ring in the center.

Create another ring, and then a chain that attaches to the last ring on this side of the snowflake.

At the end of the last chain, connect to the base of the ring on the opposite side of the snowflake than when you started.

Bring your thread around the ring so you are on the opposite side.

Continue around the same. Chain, ring, chain, ring, chain. Make sure you connect all your chains to the rings on the base.

At the end of the last chain connect to the base of the ring you started with.

Tie everything off and hide the ends.

Written Directions:

• Connect to base of ring
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• R 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• R 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• Connect to base of ring on other side of snowflake and then bring your thread to the other side so you can continue connecting to the last rings of the base.
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• R 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• R 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 k
• Ch 3 / 3 + 3 / 3 k
• Connect to the base of the ring you started with.

Step 6: Iron and Starch

You can be done now, or you can finish with ironing and or spray starching.

I started by pulling on all the picots and holding down all the stitches. Then I ironed each exterior carefully.

Once ironed, I tried to fold out the snowflake the way I wanted it, hung it from a hook, and sprayed it with starch.

Let it dry.

Step 7: Finished Snowflake

You can try doing more layers of spray starch or you are good to go from here.

Hang it up and enjoy.

Step 8: Original Photos

I originally documented making this in white, but when writing out the directions, it seemed like it was too hard to see. I re-documented this with different colors to make it easier, but decided to put the photos here just in case they help you out :)

Comments

[ma_mi]

Wow that's so pretty! I must learn tatting...

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Thank you! And it really is fun, I need to start tatting more again :)

[Lovetra]

3D Tatted Snowflake OrnamentMy wife made this after she finally found her stash of Bedspread cotton these are her comments: This was beautiful and I love it! So wonderfully illustrated and documented. There was one place where I was stumped for some time though. The wording confused me for a moment. It is at the beginning of section 2. "Just keep repeating this around of a ring, chain that connects to the next ring in the center, ring, etc."
I followed the colored example first then made two as gift wrap ornaments for special ladies in my life. They loved them. I did use white metallica thread.


Instead of using hooks, or string to attach them I used fishing line leader, almost invisible, making a loop and placed with the bow on the packages.

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Great to hear she enjoyed making them and thanks for letting me know where it was confusing. I'll try to make the wording a little easier to follow :)

[CarlaBurke]

These are absolutely GORGEOUS!!!

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Thank you :)

[HollyMann]

Those turned out amazing! :)

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Thank you :)

[HollyMann]

Thanks for introducing me to tatting. I have never heard of it before. I am very intrigued and interested.

[Penolopy Bulnick]

I'm glad I could introduce you to it! There are two methods of tatting, needle and shuttle. I think shuttle is a more traditional method.
I've tried both and prefer needle, because I think shuttle makes it easy to make things too tight and for someone like me who always works tightly, it's just harder to work with :P
If you want to look into it more, a great needle tatter is Totusmel and a great shuttle tatter is Yarnplayer. Though that's my personal opinion :) Craftknowitall has also done shuttle.

[Penolopy Bulnick]

I also have some patterns but I don't have any introductory/how to ones, just actual patterns ;)

[BayRatt]

My mum used to tat, and she made lots of snowflakes, but none 3D. Does my heart good to see a tatting instructable. Maybe one day I will have the patience to try it. Thanks Penolopy!!

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Yeah, I don't tat as much as I used to, but I'll love to do it more often again. It is fun to work with something so small and delicate :)