How to Make a 3D Paper Snowflake: Cut, Turn and Join
Build a six-arm paper snowflake with nested loops, an uncut center spine and matching joins. Includes an original cutting worksheet.
This 3D snowflake has six separate arms. Each starts as a square with paired cuts that stop before its center spine. Join opposite tips into loops, turning the paper over between pairs, then connect the six arms at their bases and neighboring sides.
A source-based guide with original diagrams. We have not physically made or tested this version.
What you’ll need
- Six 150 × 150 mm paper squares, about 6 × 6 inches; ordinary copy paper is a starting option
- Scissors, a pencil and a ruler; the worksheet gives one original marking pattern
- Clear tape or paper glue; a stapler for joining thicker stacks if needed
- A short hanging thread and a hole punch; optional small paper reinforcement for the hanging point
Cut toward the spine, not through it
Fold one square diagonally, matching its corners. Place the triangle with its long folded edge along the bottom. Draw a center line from the top point to the midpoint of that edge, then mark a boundary 5 mm to either side of it, measured at right angles to the center line. This leaves a 10 mm-wide protected strip.
To mark the cuts without the worksheet, measure 25, 50 and 75 mm inward from each end of the long folded edge. From the three left-hand marks, draw lines parallel to the triangle’s left sloping edge, stopping at the left boundary of the protected strip. Mirror those lines from the right-hand marks, parallel to the right sloping edge. Cut all six lines through both layers, starting at the folded edge and stopping at the strip. Do not cut the strip itself.
The worksheet redraws this structure on a full square so you can trace it without another template. Its long diagonal dashed line is the first fold. The two dotted lines bound the protected center spine: they are not extra cuts or folds. Fold before cutting and use only the marked solid lines.
Make one arm before cutting the other five. If a center bridge is severed, that nested section may detach when you open the paper. Start that square again rather than concealing the break under a connector.
References: Gathered: How to Make Paper Snowflakes — 3D section
Join the loops, changing sides each time
Open the square and place it like a diamond, with the uncut spine running from the top point to the bottom point. The tips to join sit to the left and right of that spine, along the former folded edge. Find four nested pairs: the smallest inner pair, two larger pairs, and the outermost pair. Begin with the smallest and leave the others loose until their turn.
Join the four pairs from the center outward.
1. Smallest pair: front
2. Second pair: back
3. Third pair: front
4. Outermost pair: back
The dot marks the tip overlap; the dashed line is the original sheet plane. Turn the whole sheet over between joins. Each view isolates one pair.
First pair
Bring the smallest opposite tips toward each other above the paper. Overlap just their ends and secure that overlap with a small piece of tape or glue. Keep a rounded loop rather than crushing a sharp crease through it.
Next pair
Turn the entire piece over. Bring the next-smallest pair together on the side now facing you and attach their tips.
Complete the arm
Turn over for each remaining pair. The four loops alternate front, back, front and back. Let glued overlaps hold before handling the arm, then repeat on five more squares.
Arrange six matching arms
Lay the arms around a central point before joining them. Orient each so its larger outer side meets the smaller side of its neighbor, following the Gathered construction. Connect a group of three at their bases and at the neighboring middle contact points; make the other group of three the same way, then join the groups.
Use the dry arrangement to locate actual contact points. Do not stretch one arm across an empty gap to force a join. If the two halves meet awkwardly, check whether one arm is turned the opposite way.
The exact spread of a finished snowflake depends on loop overlap and the way the six pieces are joined. The 150 mm measurement describes the starting squares, not a promised finished diameter.
References: Gathered: How to Make Paper Snowflakes — 3D section
Check the hanging point and store gently
Choose one outer point as the top. Reinforce that small area with paper or tape if necessary, then punch a hole and add a light thread. First hang it low over a clear table and check for a tearing hole or loosening joins. This is a lightweight indoor decoration, with no tested load or weather rating.
Support the loops when moving the piece. For storage, use a shallow box that does not squash them under other decorations. Making the arms removable would need a different connection system; do not assume glued joins can be pulled apart cleanly.
Choose another winter paper project
A step-tab card folds into a small greeting. Paper-mache ornaments use paste and need drying; they are a different construction route.
Downloads
- Four-project worksheet pack — A4
Use page 3 for this project. Four pages total; print only the page you need at Actual size / 100%. Check its 50 mm line before cutting. These original worksheets have been checked digitally, but not physically printed and assembled.
- Four-project worksheet pack — Letter
Use page 3 for this project. Four pages total; print only the page you need at Actual size / 100%. Check its 50 mm line before cutting. These original worksheets have been checked digitally, but not physically printed and assembled.