How to Make Paper Snowflakes

A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Perfect Paper Snowflakes

This tutorial will walk you through the steps needed to create two different kinds of paper snowflakes.

What Do I Need to Make Paper Snowflakes?

To make paper snowflakes that are a bit more elevated than your typical paper snowflakes, you will need the following tools:

• Fiskars® Original Orange-handled Scissors
• Fiskars® Bone Folder
• Fiskars® 1/16" hand punch

For our paper snowflakes, we used the following materials:

• Cardstock
• Tape
• Stapler and staples
• Invisible thread

Steps to Making Paper Snowflakes

Step 1. Gather your supplies. Find a convenient worksurface or table and pull up a chair. If you're making these snowflakes with children, you might find working on the floor to be easier. Then gather all your supplies. We used a variety of different colors for our snowflakes instead of the traditional white.

Step 2. Cut squares of paper. Cardstock bundles are typically sold in letter size (8.5" x 11"). We will need six squares of cardstock for each finished snowflake. To make a sheet of cardstock into a square, fold one corner up to meet the side and press along the fold with the Fiskars® Bone Folder.

Next, use the Fiskars® Orange-handled Scissors™ to cut away the excess strip of cardstock along the top edge. You will now have a square. Cut six squares in the same fashion.

Step 3. Fold your square. With your square already folded into a triangle, fold for a second time making one point meet the other. Again, press along the fold with the bone fold for a crisp, clean fold.

Step 4. Cut your triangles. Using your scissors, make three cuts across the triangle, stopping just short of the end.

Step 5. Open the square. Once you've made the three cuts along the triangle, it's time to open the piece of cardstock to reveal your cuts. Carefully pull the cardstock open, being sure not to rip or tear the folded edge.

Step 6. Tape the cardstock. You will need a few small pieces of tape. It helps if you already have them cut. Simply cut them and hang them from your worksurface or the edge of your table so that they are ready when you need them. Next, pick up the center cuts of the square, bringing the points together to form a loop or tube. Tape the two points together to hold in place.

Step 7. Continue to tape the cardstock. Turn the entire square over and then pick up the next two cuts from the center. Make the two points meet and hold in place with another piece of tape. Repeat these steps for the two remaining cut edges. You will need six of these cut and taped cardstock squares as each section will become one point to the finished snowflake.

Step 8. Assemble the snowflake. Pick up the points of three sections and staple them together. Staple the three remaining sections together, then staple the two groups of three together, creating a six-point snowflake. To finish the snowflake, staple the sections together along the sides so that you can hang it and the sections stay together.

Step 9. Hang the snowflakes. Punch a 1/16" hole using the Fiskars® Hand Punch at the top point of each snowflake to hang.

There are many ways to make these snowflakes your own. For starters, you can easily make them in many different sizes by starting with different sized squares. In this example, our squares were 8.5" x 8.5", but making the snowflakes with smaller squares is entirely possible. Consider grouping different sized snowflakes together for a really impressive display.

Finally, we used our favorite Fiskars® Original Orange-handled Scissors™ for our cuts, but you could also use our Fiskars® Decorative Edgers that cut with sculpted blades for a fun and unique spin on these snowflakes. Simply use them in place of the Orange-handled Scissors to give a rippled or pinked edge.

Adding a Decorative Twist to Paper Snowflakes

If you want to make a more traditional paper snowflake shape with some added embellishment this year, keep reading to see our next paper snowflake option. To make paper snowflakes like these ones, you will need the following tools:

• Fiskars® Easy Change Detail Knife
• Fiskars® Shapexpress2™ Hexagon templateand knife

For our paper snowflakes, we used the following materials:

• Paper
• Spray adhesive

Step 1. Fold the paper. For these snowflakes, you'll need to use paper instead of cardstock. Starting with a square of paper, fold it diagonally across the center to create a triangle.

Fold the triangle once more, to create a smaller circle.

Fold each side of the triangle towards the center so that the points overlap.

Step 2. Cut the paper. First, cut off the top of the folded triangle.

Then, use the Fiskars® Easy Change Detail knife to cut shapes into the paper. Be sure not to cut all the way from one side of the triangle to the other.

Open the paper to reveal the snowflake.

Step 3. Use the template to cut hexagons. Place a piece of contrasting cardstock on your worksurface. Place the largest hexagon template on the cardstock and use the Shapexpress2™ Knife to cut around the shape to give you a hexagon shape.

Step 4. Adhere the snowflake to the hexagon. Apply spray adhesive to the back of the snowflake and apply to the hexagon cut out.

Making snowflakes of different colors is also a great way to tie in to the color scheme of any party or event. Paper bundles are often sold in packets of complimentary colorways, so this will help you if you're unsure about which colors go together. Don't limit yourself to smooth paper either. There is a plethora of paper textures available these days, even glitter effect paper, which we think would look incredible for the winter season!