3D Paper Snowflake Tutorial

3-Dimensional paper snowflakes look beautiful hanging in a window or on a wall. Fun for kids or adults, they are easy to make. Some like them for Christmas, but you may like them any time!

Step 1: Gather materials. You’ll need 6 pieces of paper (white copy paper will do, although you can use more elaborate types), scissors, clear tape and a stapler.

Step 2: Fold each of the 6 pieces of paper in half, diagonally. If the paper you are using does not make a perfect triangle, cut off the rectangular edge that sticks out and make it align perfectly. You should end up with a square folded into a triangle. Fold the triangle in half, noting where the folded “bottom” of the triangle is.

Step 3: Cut 3 lines in the triangle. Position the scissors along the bottom fold, and parallel to one of the edges going up to the top (your cuts should be somewhat diagonal). Cut almost all the way up to one of the side edges, but not quite. Keep about the same distance between each cut. (This might not be suitable for thicker paper, since the number of layers makes it difficult to cut through.) When you unfold the triangle into a larger triangle, it should look like the photo at right.

Step 4: Unfold the triangle again. Turn it so that one of the points of the square faces you. It should look like the picture.

Step 5: Keeping your paper diamond side-up, roll the first two innermost paper lines together to form a tube. Tape these two pieces together. You should see triangle shapes on each side of the roll.

Step 6: Turn the diamond over to the other side. Take the next two paper lines and pull them together on the opposite side of the tube and tape together as before. This will be a more rounded shape and wider than the first tube.

Step 7: Keep turning the paper and joining the paper lines together on opposite side in the same fashion until all paper lines have been joined.

Step 8: Repeat Steps 3 – 7 with the remaining 5 pieces of paper.

Step 9: Join 3 of the completed rolled pieces together at one end and staple together using the other hand. Do the other 3 pieces the same way. Now you will have 2 pieces consisting of 3 strands or “arms” each. (For smaller snowflakes, it may be easier to use double-sided tape or white glue in place of staples.)

Step 10: Staple the two new pieces together in the middle.

Step 11: Staple where each of the 6 arms meet. This ensures that the snowflake shape is pulled into place. See picture at top for the finished snowflake.

Step 12: Finished.

This is the idea to make this kind of 3D Paper Snowflake.Make It Now.