How to Make Paper Snowflakes

Paper snowflakes are fun and easy to make. It takes nothing more than a pair of scissors and some paper to create a variety of delicate creations for holiday decorations.

Required Materials

• Paper (various types)
• Glitter
• Glue

Required tools

• Scissors

Instructions

There are a number of ways to cut the paper in order to create a snowflake. Each time the paper is cut, it creates another part of the design and each type of cut creates something new. This works well, since every snowflake is completely and totally unique

1. Take a sheet of paper
2. Fold the paper into a triangle, top right corner to bottom left corner
3. Fold again from the top corner of the triangle to the bottom on the same line. This will go from a right triangle to one that looks like a pyramid-shaped triangle.
4. Fold down one side using the top point of the triangle. This will leave a smaller triangle shape hanging from the bottom.
5. Next, fold over the other side of the triangle so that it crosses the first folded side. This should form a cone-like shape that has a pointed top and two points on the bottom.
6. Take the scissors and cut off the two points off the bottom to create a straight cone shape.
7. Next, cut a design out of this cone shape. The design of the cuts will determine your snowflake’s shape. The objective is to remove the majority of the cone creating a small, asymmetrical design. The more angles and cuts that are made, the more complex the design
8. Unfold each fold of the snowflake carefully to avoid tearing of any parts, which may be thinly attached.
9. Using a glue stick, spread a thin layer of glue over the entire snowflake design or you can simply place a thin bead of glue where you desire glitter
10. Sprinkle glitter over the surface of the snowflake or place the snowflake glue side down into the glitter
11. Remove any excess glitter by tapping the snowflake gently

Tips and Warnings

• Regular 8.5 x 11 papers will not work for most snowflake designs because they lack the proper shape.
• Purchase special square paper or cut sheets to an even square size in order to fold properly.
• If doing this project with younger children, it is best to do the cutting yourself since safety scissors can not cut through the number of paper layers required
• Supervise children during this project in both the cutting and glitter application.
• Be careful when cutting. The more cuts, usually the more complex the design but too many cuts could end up severing the connections between pieces and causing the design of the snowflake to fall apart.
• Use decent weight paper. While it may be more difficult to fold, it is less likely to have issues maintaining integrity during and after cutting. It is also easier to flatten after you have finished cutting.