show me how to make a paper snowflake

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How to Make a Paper Snowflake

Last Updated: November 11, 2022 Tested

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 105 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 1,946,455 times. Learn more...

Each snowflake is unique and so will be the ones you make! Whether it's December 24th or July 24th, these snowflakes are beautiful and quite easy to make; all you'll need is some paper and a pair of scissors. Because of their simplicity and aesthetic appeal, paper snowflakes are a fantastic craft idea for kids and adults alike.

Round Snowflake

• If you found that confusing, fold one side over about 1/3 of the way and then fold the other side over to cover the first side. Any better?
• When you're handling your soon-to-be snowflake, always keep the point down. This is the center of your snowflake.

Angular Snowflake

• At all steps in this method make sure your creases are firm and straight. If they're not clean and symmetrical, you may end up with a wonky snowflake.
• At this point, you may fold it again to create a different, much smaller, base for your snowflake. Experiment! However, for kids, folding it again renders it much more difficult to work with.
• You may find it useful to hold on to the center of the snowflake -- the very tip. Though you can cut it off and the snowflake will hold together! The more paper you cut off, the flimsier it will be -- not necessarily a bad thing.
• If you're not happy with your pattern, fold it back up and take a few more whacks at the paper. Problem solved.

Printable Templates

Community Q&A

Video . By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

• If you don't want to cut a circle out or can't cut a good one, try using a coffee filter instead, all you do have to do is fold it half and follow the steps. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
• If you punch a hole in your snowflake, tie some yarn in the hole and cover the snowflake in glue and glitter; it makes a great ornament. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• You'll have lots of excess paper that can be recycled. Go green. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

• Adult supervision of young children is essential during the cutting stages, as they may cut themselves. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 1 Not Helpful 2

Things You'll Need

• Markers/crayons (optional)

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About This Article

To make a paper snowflake, cut a piece of paper into a square shape. Fold the paper in half diagonally to form a triangle, then fold it in half twice more. Using scissors, make cuts into the sides of the paper, such as triangles, rectangles, or round shapes. Then, carefully unfold the paper to reveal your paper snowflake! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Make Paper Snowflakes

A great winter or Christmas craft to make with kids, you can let it snow inside by creating your very own wintry flurry of paper snowflakes.

Paper Snowflakes Tutorial

Let it snow indoors this year with a flurry of hand crafted snowflakes. Supplies needed include: white paper, pointy scissors, glitter, satin Mod Podge, foam brush, craft paper.

Related To:

There is something magical about creating art from paper. Paper snowflakes are said to have originated in the Victorian era when paper snowflakes were given as gifts. Today, they're one of the most versatile and family-friendly holiday crafts. Try using paper squares of different sizes for snowflakes big and small. You can also add a little sparkle with glitter. Use your finished snowflakes to decorate the windows or string them together to make a garland. You can also use double-sided tape to stick them to mirrors or hang them from the center of a curtain rod to mimic falling snow.

Materials Needed

• white printer paper or card stock
• white, silver, clear or opalescent glitter
• decoupage medium
• chip or foam brush
• dropcloth or plastic to protect work surface

Master the Paper Fold

The key to a good snowflake is folding technique. First, s tart with a square sheet of paper and fold it into a triangle (Image 1). Then, fold it in half again (Image 2). Next, fold the paper in half at the arrow but pull the tip of the triangle down like so (Image 3). Finally, fold the right side over the left (Image 4). Your folded paper should look like this (Image 5).

Square One: Start with a square sheet of paper and fold it into a triangle.

Fold in Half Again

Fold in Half Again: Lay that triangle like so, and fold it in half again.

Fold and Tug

Fold and Tug: Fold the paper in half at the arrow but pull the tip of the triangle down like so.

Fold it Over

Fold it Over: Fold the right side over the left.

Snowflake Fold

Your final piece of folded paper should look like this.

Cut and Add Shapes

Cut across the dotted line (Image 1). Cut patterns and shapes into each snowflake like so. I even added a dog silhouette, bottom right (Image 2).

Cut on the Dotted Line

Cut across the dotted line.

Cut patterns and shapes into each snowflake like so. I even added a dog silhouette (bottom right)!

Optional: Add Some Sparkle

Using the brush, apply a thin layer of decoupage medium and sprinkle with glitter. Allow the glue to full dry, then place your snowflakes under a heavy book to flatten the paper.

Sparkle Optional

With the foam brush, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge and sprinkle with glitter. Once dry, place your snowflakes under a heavy book to flatten.

65 Christmas Crafts for Kids 75 Photos

It's no secret that kids love Christmas — they also love crafts, so combining the two is a guaranteed win-win. Build their anticipation for the big day with our fun project ideas for crafters big and small.

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How to Make Paper Snowflakes

A few quick snips with the tips of your scissors is all it takes to make a paper snowflake. Start with a square  piece of paper —then follow our step-by-step tutorial on how to fold, cut, and create a six-pointed snowflake. Kids can happily occupy themselves by cutting snowflakes out by the dozens. Then adults can step in to help  decorate the Christmas tree, gifts, windows, and walls . Together, you can watch your family's own gentle blizzard materialize.

To make a paper snowflake, you need two  essential craft supplies : paper and a pair of scissors. When choosing paper, remember: lightweight paper—wrapping paper, tissue paper, or crepe paper—is lighter and easy to cut but more fragile for decorating. Medium to heavy weight paper—butcher paper, card stock, or text-weight poster paper—is harder to cut but is more sturdy for decorating.

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What you need

• Paper (Martha Stewart "Snowflake" Paper Pad, 12" by 12", $19, amazon.com.)
• Craft scissors (Martha Stewart Detail Scissors, $12.49, michaels.com.)
• Snowflake templates (optional)

How to do it

Start with a square piece of paper. (Tip: To cut a perfect square from a standard 8-by-11-inch sheet of paper, fold paper into a right-angled triangle; trim off excess.)

Fold paper in half diagonally to make a triangle.

Fold paper triangle in half so that the pointed corners meet.

Fold paper triangle in thirds, overlapping the lefthand pointed corner over the triangle.

Overlap the righthand pointed corner over the triangle. (Note: You may need to adjust these folds a little to get the sides to match up, so don't crease the paper until the folds are just right.)

Trim the pointed ends so the paper triangle looks as shown.

Cut your folded paper with variations of cutouts. (Tip: The ones with straight lines are easier to make than the ones with curvy lines.) Optional: If using one of our downloadable templates: scale to your paper size, print, and cut out. Staple template to folded paper in areas to be cut out and use craft scissors to cut off uncovered portion and along all solid lines. 

Unfold it gently. Don't worry if your snowflake isn't exact: No two snowflakes are ever alike. (Tip: To smooth out any creases from folding, lightly iron one paper snowflake at a time on a low setting. You can also spritz a little spray starch to stiffen and flatten out the snowflakes.)

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