3D Paper Snowflakes

Instructions

1. Fold the sheet of computer paper in half, then fold in half again so that you have a rectangle of a stack of 4 sheets of paper, which measure 4 ¼ inches by 5 ½ inches. To make each of the pieces of paper into a square, cut off 1 ¼ inch from the long end of the rectangle, so that you now have a square shape. Cut on the folded lines to separate into 4 separate pieces of paper.

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2. To make each layer, you will fold each sheet in half, then in half again, to form a stack of 4 layers, in a square shape. Then fold in half diagonally, and once again in half diagonally.

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3. Trim off the triangle that juts out at the top.

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4. Open the last fold. Cut out the shape of a “V”, toward the point of the triangle. (Your folded paper will resemble an arrowhead.) Open the folds. This will be the base of the star. (The bottom layer.)

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5. Prepare two more squares of paper, by folding and trimming as in steps 2, 3 and 4.

6. For the middle layer, cut out an additional “V” shape on each side of the “arrowhead” shape. (Your folded paper will resemble the letter “Y”.)

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7. For the top layer, in step 4, cut so that the “arrowhead” shape is a miniature of the previous one. (This means you will cut the in the same manner, but closer to the point, so that when it is opened it will be smaller than the previous one.) As well, cut out “V” shapes in the sides of the arrowhead shape, so that it resembles the letter “Y”.

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8. Open all the layers, and stack them, alternating the points to be between the points of the previous layer.

9. Either pass a brad through the center of the snowflake, or simply glue the 3 layers together in the center.

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10. Optional: Draw a squiggly line along the outside edge of each snowflake layer for a different effect.

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