How to Make 6-Pointed Paper Snowflakes

This step by step guide will teach you how to make SIX pointed paper snowflakes. Most people make (and most how-tos teach) snowflakes with four or eight points. Real snowflakes in nature form with six points (or occasionally three if they formed weird) so I choose to make my own with six points. I taught myself this technique in high school and have been making paper snowflakes around Christmas time ever since.

All you will need for this is paper and scissors. Some people like to use fancy paper, but I use plain white copy paper because somehow the simplicity of white is more beautiful to me.

If you want to view a gallery of my snowflakes, see me on Flickr: Paper Snowflake Gallery.

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Step 1 Step 1

First, begin with a square piece of copy paper. I usually make two snowflakes for every 8.5"x11" piece of paper, so I first cut the paper in half, and then make a square from each half. This makes a snowflake about 5" across. If you're just learning to make snowflakes, using a full piece of paper for each snowflake may be easier to practice with.

You can make a square from a rectangular piece of paper simply by folding one corner down to form an isosceles triangle (like the one in the next step) and trimming off the excess paper.

Comments

[karmar22]

I must be really stupid because mine turned out completely hollow and looked nothing like a snowflake!

[pammybear]

karmar22 - I did exactly the same thing. I found out I was cutting the wrong piece. I thought I was supposed to cut the top part, because that's what it looks like in the picture, but if you cut the bottom plain triangle that is cut off, it comes out really nice.

[drbill]

Thank You Thank You My Wife Loves Me Again !
Mele Kalikimaka and Houoli Maka Hiki Hou !
Aloha !

[MommasArtMess]

Good job on the directions! I teach art and include both this method (which my mom shared when I was five or six years old) and one that uses a circle. I love sharing the patterns with kids and letting them feel superior that their flakes are *correct* multiples of three.

[Imjetta]

Ohhhhh dreamy! These are so much prettier than Martha Stewarts! Thank you!

[ReadsInTrees]

Haha, thanks! You know it does irk me a little that when you Google "How To Make Paper Snowflakes" my how-to shows up at #3 and HERS is at #2. Argh.

[dangjena]

This was amazing! Super instructions and beautiful work. Well done, friend.

[jbrecken]

I decorated my cubicle one year with Post-It notes transformed into snowflakes using more or less this technique. The only difference is that with the smaller paper there wasn't room for too many cuts.

[maggieelrod]

just wanted to thank you for your time to go into such detail to explain how to do this. Merry Christmas!
Maggie Elrod

[ReadsInTrees]

You're welcome! I hope you're having fun making snowflakes!

[designteach]

Excellent instructions! Enjoyed making these in class today!

[sconnaire618]

I love this - so does my 9 year-old. Our window is well on it's way to a winter wonderland! Thank you for taking the time to instruct!

[Dejaykomm]

My first attempts at the 6 point snowflake. :-) comments appreciated. :-)

[ReadsInTrees]

Nice job! I hope my instructions and tips were helpful.

[Dejaykomm]

it was your tutoring and design styles that led the way. :-)

[Swirlysmile]

Beautiful!

[Swirlysmile]

This is a GREAT instructable. thank you! I'd forgotten how to fold. Now I just need to be more adventurous in my cuts. I predict a snow day in my house during winter school break for my daughter. :D

[daguilar4]

Made mine thanks for this I loved it , posted on my facebook

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/392244_2187605741185_1578316978_31622056_1266856817_n.jpg

[Dejaykomm]

Best snowflake ins'ble I have seen! Made 6 already! Think I am gonna need more paper!! :-)

[dwirsz]

First attempt

[ReadsInTrees]

Excellent for a first attempt. Must've had a good teacher!

[dwirsz]

Very nice instruction guide. Very easy to follow. I have been making other kinds of snow flakes for years, but this is my first attempt at a 6 pointer. Thought I would upload a pic of my first attempt at your six point style... Let me know what you think.

[lgrochowsky]

I love your directions and that is a beautiful snowflake.

[ReadsInTrees]

If you guys liked this one, feel free to browse my gallery of snowflakes on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmdsnowflakes/sets/

[trrydms]

wow that is an amazing collection!

[theotherplace98531]

Thanks for this instructable. I learnt to make these in grade school, back in the fifties. I forgot how to fold the paper.

[anke-art]

Thank you, thank you, thank you ! And did I say THANK YOU?

These are gorgeous, every single one looks great. I can't wait to make some, and I'd even have an idea for using them for a nice wreath.

Greetings from not-yet-snowy Germany :D

[cakmak10]

this is awesome.

[hotwingz23]

this is the most beautiful snowflake ever!!!!

[Mauigerbil]

This is the most epic snowflake ever!

[Lori04]

you are a genius! haha :D this is amazing! i like it! i'm totally doing this right now :)

[jhill12]

Hi!
Just found this 'ible and I LOVE IT! I've been looking for something my daughter (5) and I can do together and this is perfect. Thank you for going into such detail about each step, it makes it easier for me to think about and therefor translate into something my girly can do.

I just had a thought that may make it easier to preserve your snowflakes and make it easier to hang them: Press them between sheets of wax paper. If you're going to press them with an iron anyway, you can do it between the wax paper to give it strength! I've done this with some of the more delicate paper projects my daughter has brought home from school and it works well.

I think I'm going to do it with scraps of wrapping paper to have a colored side and a blank side to have more dimension in my windows.

Thank you again!

[yoshi1]

Can you PLEASE make a video for one of your snowflakes?

[xbelindabillyx]

For practicing:
http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays/

[yoshi1]

if i copied the cutting i did on the website would it turn out the same on the piece of paper?

[libbydvb]

Have been spreading the gospel of paper snowflakes all season! Very easy (folding bit, that is!) and even if ours don't look like the pix, we've had fun cutting all together in front of the fire - even our 5 year old! LOOOOVE IT!

[starsmag]

I'm gonna do it a different way. this looks alittle to hard for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

[Izzie_x]

I LOVE the 5th one in the first row its absolutely beautiful!!

[ReadsInTrees]

If you liked that one, you'll probably like this one too:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmdsnowflakes/5221522079/

[starsmag]

I LOVE the 5th one, too!