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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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.
Remember to rate this Instructable!
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Signing UpStep 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.
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.
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Mele Kalikimaka and Houoli Maka Hiki Hou !
Aloha !
Maggie Elrod
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/392244_2187605741185_1578316978_31622056_1266856817_n.jpg
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
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!
http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmdsnowflakes/5221522079/
http://vermontsnowflakes.com/tshirts.htm#tp
Wilson A Bentley (aka Snowflake Bentley) was the first person to photograph a single snowflake back in 1885. He eventually photographed over 5000 snowflakes, no two exactly the same.
A website dedicated to him is:
www.snowflakebentley.com
I love these and want to try more tomorrow.
Thanks SO much for giving us the instructions!
Thanks for the lovely instructable! The generosity of people like you sharing on this site helps to put things in perspective. Bless.
As for sharpening scissors....I've never actually sharpened a pair, but I've heard that you can sharpen them easily by scissoring through several layers of aluminum foil. I just tried this, but it didn't seem to make a huge difference...maybe I needed to do it for longer. I believe there are scissor sharpening devices that you can purchase in craft stores.
I have created roomfulls -- nature center and a classroom. The classromm teacher (my sister) actually laminated them and this way they will last for ever, and endure much handling. Some years she tapes them on the school windows too.
I am turning green.
Something I've done this year is 'square, square, triangle'. Fold your square in half squarewise two times, then into a triangle. You may not get a technically correct six-sided shape, but it's a lot easier to fold ;o)
Besides the paper snowflakes, I now crochet 3-dimensional snowflakes with really fine thread which are very pretty too. A green tree with the white crocheted snowflakes and blue lights is spectacular!
mike
I actually don't use patterns when I make my snowflakes. I just cut them. In step 10 I did try to show how you could look at a snowflake and work out how to make one similar. Did you try that?
I am so impressed by the delicacy of your samples that you show.
I just use regular paper scissors like you can get at Staples, such as the ones shown in Step 1. I get nicer-quality ones that are more likely to be sharp. You can usually tell which ones are going to be better because they'll have a handle that is at least partly rubber, usually inside the finger loops. The ones with hard plastic (usually orange) handles tend to be kind of flimsy. Compare scissors at the store and try to get ones that have a regular sized grip, but shorter blades, which will help you maneuver better. The ones I'm using right now have gray handles with yellow rubber inside the finger holes, they say Westcott on them. The ones pictured in Step 1 say Acme Soft Handle on them. I also have a new pair of scissors made by Scotch (as in Scotch tape). These ones seem a little tight to open and close, so I'll take a regular #2 pencil and scribble around the hinge of the scissors to try and work a little graphite into the hinge. Graphite works as a better lubricant than oil, but sometimes oil is easier to get into the hinge. Scissors that don't open and close easily can also make cutting more difficult.
Hope this helps. Get a good pair of scissors and see if that makes a difference. I will admit that my hands get tired after a while, which was my main motivator to first buy scissors with rubber grips.
im in high school so i made one in study hall and now people are practicly hanging off of me asking for them
now i pick my favourite people and give them the snowflakes
i also make 2 six pointeed flakes out of one sheet of paper, but then i take the leftovers and get 4 more 4 pointed flakes.
i am still working on getting better
(we will have to see how the ones i cut peoples names into turn out)
XD
makes a nice christmas-card cover :)
A killer 'Ible my friend :) well done!