Snowflake from a Square

A flat snowflake with six arms, little branches and windows — just like a real one. The square is folded into a narrow wedge of six layers, and the pattern you trace with the camera is cut through all the layers at once.

• Easy
• 1 3½ in square
• 6 layers cut at once
• 6 arms

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 2997

On VanGami the template appears over your sheet through your phone camera — no printer needed. Trace it, cut, fold and glue. Below are all the steps in text.

What you’ll need

• Letter sheet — office paper, 80 gsm (20 lb)
• Pencil — and eraser
• Scissors — small
• Tape — a small piece, for hanging
• Thread — 8–12 in, for hanging
• Glass — phone stand

Steps

Trace

1. Square: outline. Trace the 3½ × 3½ in square with a solid line — you’ll cut along it.
2. Square: folds. Draw three dashed lines: the diagonal and two segments from the middle of the square — one to the top edge and one to the right edge. Write the numbers — that’s the order of the folds.
3. Square: pattern. Between lines 2 and 3, near the top right corner, trace the pattern: an edge with little branches, two small corners on the dashed lines and a short line near the middle. You’ll cut along these lines after you fold the square.

Cut

4. Cut out: square. Cut out the square along the solid line. Don’t cut the pattern lines yet.

Fold

5. Triangle. Lay the square with the lines facing up. Fold it along line 1 away from you: the bottom left triangle goes back, under the top one. Lines 2 and 3 stay on top.
6. Right edge back. Fold the triangle along line 2 — also away from you: the right edge goes back. Its corner will peek out above the top edge — that’s how it should be; it will end up in the scraps.
7. Left edge back. Then along line 3, also away from you: the left edge goes back. On top you now have the wedge with the pattern — it has 6 layers. Crease all the folds with your fingernail.

Cut the pattern

8. Cut all the layers at once. Hold the wedge firmly so the layers don’t slide apart, and cut along the pattern lines through all 6 layers at once: the edge with the branches, the two notches on the folds and the tip in the middle. Everything past the line goes into the scraps.
9. Unfold. Carefully unfold the wedge, one layer at a time. You’ve got a snowflake with six arms — just like a real one.

Hang

10. Hang it up. Put the snowflake under a book overnight — it will flatten out. Tape the thread to the back of the top arm with a small piece of tape and hang the snowflake by a window.

Done. The snowflake is done. Hang it on its thread by a window or on the Christmas tree — and the rest of the sheet makes a few more: trace the square you cut out and repeat.

Make it with your phone camera

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