How a folded square becomes a snowflake
The square is folded three times: once on a diagonal, once on the other diagonal, and then in thirds. That makes twelve layers stacked in a thin wedge, each a 30-degree slice of the square. Whatever you cut through the wedge is cut through all twelve slices at once, and every fold mirrors it, so one cut becomes twelve when the paper opens. A shape cut from a folded edge opens into one shape across the fold; a hole cut in the middle of the wedge opens into twelve.
The template prints the finished pattern over the whole square, grey where the paper goes. Because the folds are exactly the lines the pattern is mirrored on, the grey parts of every layer land under each other when you fold. That is why the printout itself is folded and cut: there is nothing to trace and nothing to line up.
Cutting it
Cut the deep shapes from the folded edges first while the wedge is still stiff, then the holes in the middle, and the outer edge last. Twelve layers of printer paper are about a millimetre thick, so press firmly and cut in short strokes. Open the snowflake slowly, one fold at a time; a small tear can be fixed with clear tape on the back.
Snowflakes on a window stay up with a dab of glue stick or a loop of tape. On a string they turn in the air, and a few at different heights make a garland. If you are decorating for the season anyway, the paper chain maker counts the days to Christmas with one loop a day, and the ornament maker prints a name on a paper bauble for every child.
Questions
How do I fold paper for a six-pointed snowflake?
Cut out the printed square, fold it along line 1 into a triangle with the printed side out, fold that triangle in half along line 2, then fold it in thirds along the two lines 3, one third to the front and one to the back, so the edges sit even. You are holding a thin wedge of twelve layers, and the grey shapes on top are the ones to cut. Ice crystals grow with six arms, which is why the thirds fold makes the snowflakes look real.
Do I have to trace the template onto another sheet?
No. The whole snowflake is printed on the square, so after folding, the grey parts of every layer lie exactly under the grey parts on top. Fold the printout itself, printed side out, and cut through all the layers along the lines you can see.
Which paper and scissors work best?
Thin paper. Plain printer paper works; with twelve layers it is thick, so use small, sharp scissors and cut the deep shapes first. Thinner paper, like tracing paper or thin origami paper, cuts much more easily for small hands, and the lines still show through.
Will my snowflake fall apart when I open it?
No. Every shape is checked before it is drawn: the opened snowflake is one piece, and no strip of paper is narrower than the level allows. On a one-per-sheet square of 19 cm that is about 5.7 mm for Easy, 3.3 mm for Medium and 2.1 mm for Lacy. If a cut would break the snowflake, the generator leaves that cut out.
Which level for which age?
Easy has a few big shapes for children who are learning to cut, about four to six years old with help. Medium suits older children and most adults. Lacy has many small shapes and narrow strips; it is for patient adults and teenagers with sharp scissors. Two per sheet makes smaller squares, which are harder to cut, so give younger children the one-per-sheet size.
Can I make a different snowflake for every child in a class?
Yes. Type the names, one per line: each name gets its own snowflake, and the name prints above its square so nobody mixes them up. The same name at the same level always gives the same snowflake until you press Another snowflake. Without names, set How many and you get that many different snowflakes.
Is anything uploaded from this page?
No. The snowflakes are drawn and the PDF is made inside your browser. Names you type are kept in this browser so they are still there next time, and no request carries them anywhere.