Start with a square piece of thin paper and a pair of sharp scissors.
Fold the paper
- Fold the square in half diagonally to make a triangle.
- Fold that triangle in half again so you get a smaller triangle.
- Imagine this triangle divided into three skinny wedges and fold one point across the front by about one third.
- Fold the other point across the back so the two outer edges line up neatly, then trim off the extra “tails” at the top so you’re left with a small, even triangle.
Cut the snowflake
- Hold the folded triangle tightly and cut small shapes from the long sides: triangles, half-hearts, curves, or diamonds work well.
- Avoid cutting all the way from one side to the other, or the snowflake will fall apart when you open it.
- If you snip off the tip of the triangle, you’ll get a little hole in the center of your snowflake.
Unfold and finish
- Gently unfold the paper to reveal your snowflake and smooth it flat with your hands.
- For very flat snowflakes, place them under a heavy book for a while, or lightly press them with a warm (low-heat) iron through another sheet of paper.
For easier cutting (especially for kids), use thinner paper like parchment and small “detail” scissors so it’s not hard to cut through the layers.
