To cut out easy paper snowflakes, use a square piece of paper, fold it a few times, then snip simple shapes along the edges before unfolding.
What you need
- Plain paper (printer or notebook paper works).
- Scissors.
- Pencil (optional, for drawing a pattern first).
Basic folding steps
- Start with a square piece of paper; if you have a rectangle, fold one corner diagonally to the opposite edge and cut off the extra strip to make a square.
- Fold the square in half diagonally to make a triangle.
- Fold the triangle in half again so you get a smaller triangle.
- Fold this smaller triangle into thirds: imagine it split into three skinny wedges and fold one side over, then the other, so you have a cone-like wedge. Adjust so the edges line up.
- Cut off the uneven top so all layers are even and you have a neat wedge/triangle.
Cutting the snowflake
- Use your scissors to cut small shapes from the sides of the folded wedge: triangles, half-circles, diamonds, or little notches.
- If you snip the very tip off, you’ll get a hole in the center of the snowflake.
- Avoid cutting all the way from one side to the other or the snowflake may fall apart.
Unfolding and quick tips
- Carefully unfold the paper to reveal your snowflake and smooth it with your hands; you can press it under a book for a while to make it flat.
- For younger kids or an even easier version, just fold the paper into a smaller triangle several times (in half, then in half again) and cut simple triangles from the edges.
- Thinner paper is easier to cut and unfold; try making a few practice snowflakes to learn how different cuts change the pattern.
