How to Make 3-D Paper Snowflakes

The many paper strips required can be quilling strips or you can cut your own. Obviously the quilling strips will make the process go faster. A number of variations in the snowflake look can be obtained by using strips of different widths and lengths as well as in how closely together the strips are woven (see Notes & Variations, below). The following directions are for the basic snowflake.

Materials

12 strips of 3/8" x 6-1/2" paper
glue
toothpick for applying glue
scissors
cutting mat (optional)

Figure A

Steps:

1. Find the exact center of two strips and glue them together to form a plus (+) sign, making certain that they intersect at the exact center of each strip (figure A). Forming these on top of a measured cutting mat will ensure a perfect 90-degree angle. Note: The horizontal strip should be under the vertical strip.

Figure B

2. On each side of the horizontal strip, glue another horizontal strip (figure B). This time the horizontal strips go over the vertical strip. In all cases, the strips should butt up next to each other.

Figure C

3. Weave two vertical strips into position, again butting them up to the ones next to them, and glue at all overlapping spots (figure C). You will have used six strips to make a woven plus (+) sign.

Figure D

4. Weave the remaining six strips together to form another plus (+) sign (figure D).

Figure E

5. Turn one of the plus signs a quarter turn to the right so you have an X. Place the plus sign on top of it (figure E).

Figure F

6. Hold the end of a center strip of the top (plus) half in one hand. Directly underneath will be an inside corner of the X half. Carol refers to this as an L shape. Take the end of one of the corner L strips, flip it over like a pancake (one half twist), and glue it to the tip of the center strip you are holding (figure F). You will be hoping for an oval-shaped angle, but for the moment any sort of an angle will do. After a few you will get the feel of it.

Figure G

7. Do the same with the other corner L strip and the same center strip. This forms one point of the eight-pointed snowflake (figure G). Note: Make certain that the glue is set before moving onto the next strip. The half twists are like cocked rubber bands and you do not want them to come un-cocked!

8. After one point is complete, rotate the entire thing to get to the next center strip on the top half. It gets easier after the first point since the two halves are then fastened together. NOTE: I found it to be helpful to work on a sheet of cork and stick a push pin thru the center to hold things together. Do whatever works for you.

Figure H

9. Continue to lift, twist and glue two strips for two more points. The top side of the snowflake will now be completed (figure H).

Figure I

10. Turn the entire piece over and repeat the process on the four points on the underneath (bottom) half (figure I).

11. After the glue has dried completely, trim the dog-ears off of each point. Just follow the curve of the point.

NOTES & VARIATIONS

The directions given above are almost exactly as Carol sent them to me with just a few minor changes in wording. At first reading I thought I would never know what I was supposed to do, but when I actually tried to do what Carol wrote, I found them to be excellent. She is right when she said to think of flipping a pancake when you turn the strip. I made it look much more complicated when I did it on camera, I am sorry to say. I was trying so hard to keep my hands out of the way of the camera that it looked more confusing than it is.

A lacier look can be achieved by changing the position of the 12 strips when weaving them together. Rather than butt the strips up next to each other, leave a 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch between them.

Smaller and lacier-looking snowflakes can be made using 1/8-inch-wide strips instead of the 3/8-inch-wide ones. In this case, the strips should be cut 4-1/4-inch in length.

Decorate your Christmas tree with these paper snowflakes for the holidays.