Folding a 6 pointed snowflake

(If you want, you can skip all my rambling by going down to the red text below.)

    I grew up cutting paper snowflakes to tape up on windows every winter. I started with the classic 6 pointed snowflake (since 4 and 8 points were just too easy), but eventually got bored with that, so I figured out how to fold the paper to make a 5 and 7 pointed snowflakes as well. I got good enough at it that I would frame and sell my finished snowflakes. After years of doing it, I think I've found a pretty good method of folding and cutting.

    I thought the internet would have it figured out too. However, that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe I'm judgemental, but I just don't like most of the snowflake folding instructions I've found out there. So, I'm going to make my own set of instructions. I've never actually made instructions for anything before, so I may fail at making something better than what is already out there simply through inexperience. Photography is a big thing I need to figure out. Therefore, this will be a work in progress, and I may update it later if I find that there is a better way of doing it. Also when I learn to take better photos. Definitely.

    One of the reasons I'm dissatisfied with all the snowflake instructions I've found on the internet so far is that most of them tell you to start with a square piece of paper. Since I think 99% of the people following the instructions will use a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of printer paper, this just adds an unnecessary step to the process. Additionally, you end up with slightly less space to work with. Nothing huge, but I like taking advantage of as much paper as I can.

    In the picture below I folded a 6 pointed snowflake with a square piece of paper, and folded one with my own method. My method is the bottom piece. You can see, one folded my way will end up with a little bit more space. Again, not a huge deal, but I thought it was interesting.

    Snowflake folding takes several steps, so I'm going to make 4 separate posts--one each for 6, 5, and 7 pointed snowflakes, then one with some tips and ideas for designing your snowflakes.

So, without further ado...

HOW TO FOLD A 6 POINTED SNOWFLAKE:


Start with a regular ol' 8 1/2 x 11 piece of printer paper. You don't even need to make it a square.

Fold it in half, "hamburger style" as we'd say in elementary school, by bringing the two shorter sides together.

Now, you need to find the center point of the fold. Do this by bringing the two corners of the fold together and making a small crease right at the fold--YOU DON'T NEED TO FOLD THE PAPER ALL THE WAY ACROSS.

See the little crease?

Those previous steps are the same for any of the snowflakes you'll fold. With me so far?

Now, we get to things specific to a 6 pointed snowflake.

With a finger on the little crease you made, fold up one corner of your paper. You want to form two angles of the same size (congruent) with the edges of your paper. I usually just eyeball it, but if you have a protractor these will each be about 60 degrees (180/3). I say "about" because the thickness of the paper can throw it off a bit.

For some help finding the right angle, you can print and cut out a pattern here.

Now, fold the other side of the paper up, lining up the edge with the fold you just made.

Flip it over and fold it in half.

Cut it off on the line shown below.

And you're ready to go!


And, this is just an opinion, but... please, please, please, DO NOT USE A PATTERN. It is so much more fun to design your own snowflake, and you'll feel that much cooler when it turns out looking really awesome. It doesn't need to be complicated--some really cool looking snowflakes have really simple designs.

Have I convinced you yet?

I'll put together a post of tips and tricks for making designs if you want help thinking of things to cut.

If you feel ready to make your own designs without help, more power to you--go for it!

I'd love to see your favorite 6-pointed creations. Put a link in the comments.

Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions on making the directions clearer, or if you just spot a typo--let me know in the comments.