How to make a paper snowflake with the template
- Pick a starting point. Open one of the ready-made designs, press Surprise me for a random snowflake, or clear the cuts and start from plain paper. Choose 6 points for a classic snowflake or 8 points for a square-folded star.
- Cut into the folded paper. The narrow shape on the left (on top on a phone) is your paper after folding: the point is the middle of the square, both dashed sides are folds, and the outer edge is the first cut. Pick a shape and tap the paper to cut it, or choose Draw and trace any outline with your finger or mouse. Drag a cut to move it; the sliders change its size, angle and width.
- Watch it unfold. The snowflake on the right updates as you go. Parts drawn in red would fall off when you unfold the paper, so fix those before you print.
- Print and cut. Download the PDF (or the PNG), print it, cut out the square and fold it along the numbered dashed lines. Every fold goes backwards, away from you, so the gray pattern ends up on top. Cut away everything gray through all the layers and unfold.
Reading the folded paper
A cut on a dashed fold line is mirrored when you unfold, so half a heart on the fold becomes a whole heart, and half a circle becomes a round hole; it appears 6 times around a 6-point snowflake. A cut between the folds goes through every layer, so it appears 12 times (6 mirrored pairs), which is why one small triangle turns into a ring of 12. A cut at the very point makes a hole in the center.
The outer edge sets the snowflake's outline: Round gives a circle, Straight a 12- or 16-sided shape, Pointed one point per arm (6 or 8 points), and Double points a point on every layer edge (12 or 16 points).
6-point or 8-point?
| 6 points | 8 points | |
|---|---|---|
| Folds after the first half | Into thirds, then in half | In half three times |
| Layers you cut through | 12 | 16 |
| Wedge angle | 30° | 22.5° |
| Looks like | A real snow crystal | A star or a doily |
| Best paper | Printer paper | Thin paper (origami, tissue-weight) |
Real snow crystals always grow with six-fold symmetry, because of the way water molecules arrange in ice (Kenneth Libbrecht, Caltech), so a 6-point snowflake is the natural one. The realistic snowflake designs copy real crystal shapes, and the 8-point snowflake templates cover the square-folded kind.
Tips for clean cuts
- Crease hard. Run a fingernail along every fold. A loose fold makes the wedge wider than the template and the layers slip apart while you cut.
- Clip the layers. A paper clip at the outer edge keeps the layers lined up. Cut the small inside holes first, then the edge notches, then the outer edge last.
- Leave bridges. Keep at least a few millimeters of paper between neighbouring cuts. Thin strips tear when you unfold; the preview shows where cuts meet.
- Small holes inside the paper need a craft knife on a cutting mat, or fold the stack gently across the hole and snip a starting slit with scissors.
- Unfold slowly, then press the snowflake flat under a heavy book for an hour.
Coloring pages and stencils
Switch the print choice above the preview to Coloring for the unfolded snowflake as an outline on a full page, ready for crayons or markers, or to Stencil for a solid black shape. Cut the stencil out of card to trace around, or cut it out of the sheet and tape the sheet to a window for spray snow or window paint. Each print uses the snowflake you see, including your own cuts.
Snowflake ideas
- Hang several snowflakes at different heights with thread for a window display, or string them into a garland.
- Make a classroom set: print one template per child, or let each child design their own and share it with Share result, which links straight to that snowflake.
- Cut from wrapping paper or old book pages for gift tags.
More seasonal printables: the pumpkin stencil maker for Halloween, a bingo card generator for holiday party games, and a word search maker for winter word lists.