Cindy Higham - Snowflakes for All Seasons

Its often said that no two snowflakes are alike. Thats also true with paper snowflakes! The slightest change in the paper folding or the slightest cut difference and you can have a new and exciting snowflake.

Use the patterns in this book to learn the techniques, and then start experimenting on your own.

Snowflakes could be the least expensive decoration you can make. Any 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper will do. There are many different paper styles and colors available for choosing. Find some paper and a pair of sharp scissors and you are ready to start.

Use the diagrams on page 8 to learn how to fold your paper. Then pick the pattern you want to try first.

You can use the same patterns many times. Photocopy or trace the patterns rather than cutting them out so you can use them many times.

You can also photocopy your patterns smaller or larger so you have a variety of snowflake sizes for decorating. Cut a piece of paper to the size you want your snowflake. Fold the paper, as per the instructions, then enlarge or reduce the pattern to fit your snowflake triangle.

Put a small piece of tape on the sides of your pattern and tape it to your folded paper. Cut the small sections out first and work your way up to the large cuts. This will give you more paper to hold onto for a longer amount of time.

You can tape the finished snowflakes to your windows or hang them from the ceiling with thread. Watch the room transform into a magical place.

If your snowflakes arent flat, you can press them into a book for a few days or you can take a slightly warm iron and press out the folds.

If you want to make your snowflakes sparkle, you can buy glue sticks with glitter in them or glue glitter pens that are fun to decorate your snowflakes with.

Use colored paper that coordinates with the holiday you are celebrating.

If your paper is a rectangle, fold the top right corner down to left side of paper so that the top edge aligns with left edge. Cut off the paper that extends past the bottom of the triangle. Now you have a square.

Fold corner A down to B. (After each fold, run your fingernail along the fold to press it down tight.)

Fold corner C down to D.

You should have a triangle that looks like the shaded area on the diagram.

Fold the bottom left corner partially to the right, so that the corner sticks out past the bottom edge of the triangle.

Now fold in the opposite third. Fold A to A, B to B, and C to C. The more perfect the paper is folded the more perfect the snowflake will be.

Your paper should now look like this. On one side of the folded paper you will see a straight line, where the dotted line is shown in the diagram. Cut off the paper along this line. You now have your snowflake triangle and are ready to choose a pattern to make. Choose a pattern to cut out.