How To Cut Paper Snowflakes With Kids

Fold a circle of paper the correct way and cutting delicate and decorative snowflakes is easy. Form snowflakes out of white paper, coffee filters, scrapbook paper, gift wrap, magazines, and more. Snowflakes can be made quickly and are a great way to decorate a room in a snap. For classrooms that can’t decorate for holidays, these winter ornaments add a seasonal touch to the room.

Make a Six-Sided Kirigami (Cut Paper) Snowflake

To make a snowflake, follow these instructions:

Start with a white sheet of paper 8 ½” x 11”.
Set a plate or saucer that fits onto the paper and trace the plate with a pencil.
Cut out the paper circle.
Fold the circle in half.
Hold the folded half circle so the folded side is on the bottom (directed toward your chest).
Fold half circle in thirds so the left side overlaps the right. This should look like a slice of pizza.
Make little cuts along all sides of the slice. Cut out tiny triangles (which will form diamond shapes when the paper is unfolded), half circles (which will form full circles when the snowflake is opened), half hearts, squares, etc. Leave enough paper between the cut out shapes so the paper doesn’t tear or fall apart when opened.
After some practice, fold the slice to cut shapes out of the middle of the slice. The more cuts, the lacier the snowflake.
Unfold with care.

Make Glitter Paint

Mix a teaspoon of flour and one teaspoon of salt to a drop of white tempera paint. Add just enough water so that the paint is thin enough to use a paintbrush. Stir well. Paint over a sheet of paper. Don’t worry about covering the entire sheet of paper. Streaks and swirls of the mixture over the paper are fine. This mixture will add highlights of shine and texture to the finished snowflake.

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Allow the paper to dry completely. Trace and cut out a circle. Fold the circle and cut out tiny shapes. Some of the flour and salt mixture may flake off, that’s okay. The entire snowflake won’t be covered in the flour, salt, and paint mixture.

Make Coffee Filter Snowflakes

Lay the coffee filter flat on a protected work surface. Decorate the filter in one of several ways. 1) Paint the coffee filter with watercolor paints. 2) Draw on the filter with washable markers and then spray with water so the colors spread. 3) After folding the filter, dip each corner into food coloring mixed into water. Open the filter. Allow the filter to dry completely before cutting.

Fold the colored coffee filter as described above and cut along the sides. This snowflake is more delicate than one made with regular paper.

All of these snowflakes can be taped to windows, curtains, or walls. Use a loop of white thread tied through part of the snowflake and hang from a tree or a suction cup attached to glass. Group several snowflakes together for a snowy winter decoration. Add in other snow crafts, including a snow globe.