Each snowflake is unique, so you can make your own! Whether it's Christmas Eve or Ferragosto, you can create beautiful bows quickly and easily; all you need is some paper and a pair of scissors. Thanks to the ease of making and their eye-catching look, paper snowflakes are a great chore for kids (but also adults)!
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Round Bow
Step 1. Fold a sheet of paper in half
A normal A4 sheet will do just fine. If you want a particular bow, color the paper in advance with crayons, markers and crayons or use the colored one!
Step 2. Find the center of the page along the fold
Then take each corner and bring it towards the center to form a triangle. Fold each corner back on itself once more. The paper should be folded in three parts and have a vaguely cone-like shape.
- If this is not very clear to you, fold one side about 1/3 of the width and then the other side until the first is covered.
- When handling the paper, always keep the tip pointing down, this is the point that represents the center of the snowflake.
Step 3. Fold in half
Now you have a mini-cone in front of you right? Like the one in the image.
Step 4. Cut the entire thickness of the folded paper following a curved line just like in the image
You are now ready to make your own snowflake!
Step 5. Start cutting
Start with a simple pattern before attempting the more intricate ones. The smaller and more numerous the cuts, the more detailed the snowflake will be.
Step 6. Open the sheet
It will take patience (and be careful not to cut yourself!) But you'll get a beautiful six-sided snowflake. Et voila! You can do the next one!
Method 2 of 2: Corner Bow
Step 1. Get an A4 sheet
To create a perfect square, fold one corner to the opposite side, diagonally and cut off the excess paper.
When following these instructions, make sure you define each fold well before moving on to the next step. If the folds are not perfect and symmetrical, you will get an irregular bow
Step 2. Fold the paper in half, into a triangle
This is the same fold you made in the previous step and only needs to be done if you reopened the sheet first. Fold the triangle in on itself again to make a smaller one.
At this point you should fold it one more time to create an even smaller triangle and to create a different base for your snowflake! Try it! However, remember that another fold makes work difficult for children
Step 3. Start cutting
This is the fun time. If you are a creative person you can organize a complicated, detailed and very delicate scheme. Or you can limit yourself to a couple of cuts. Follow curved lines or make sharp corners, try to get the most out of your paper.
It might be handy to grab the triangle by the tip, but you can also cut it without undoing the bow. The more paper you remove, the lighter the bow will appear
Step 4. Open the snowflake with great care
If you've made a lot of cuts, the paper may tear. If the cuts are very small, sometimes the layers of paper are intertwined.
If you are not satisfied with the result, fold the paper and try adding some engraving. Problem solved
Advice
- Cardboard snowflakes are hard to cut but much more durable. This means you won't be making neat, symmetrical cuts, don't expect perfection.
- If you make a hole in the bow, you can pass a thread and enrich the bow by gluing some glitter; it is a beautiful decoration.
- You can use the snowflake cutouts to build a crown for your kids. Take the remnants of the folded paper, round the edges, unfold the sheet and put it on your head. You can consider other solutions to make the crown more beautiful and realistic: cut long strips and then glue them on a stronger cardboard or some foam rubber. Both princes and princesses will love your creation!
- If you can't cut a circle or the result doesn't satisfy you, use an American coffee filter: you just have to fold it in half and follow the previous steps.
- If you have a lot of paper scraps you can recycle them. Think ecological!
- Older children and adults can prepare a blueprint or sketch of what the bow will look like before cutting it. In this way, very complex structures can be created.
- You can make a bow by staying on top of the paper basket to collect the cut pieces.
- Snowflakes made with photocopy paper are a little more symmetrical even if not perfect. They are good for hanging, even if they can be wrinkled. Try to laminate them when finished to make them more resistant. So you can use them year after year.
