Craft Break: How to Make Paper Snowflakes

Even though winter break doesn't last that long, kids are bound to become bored. Here's a craft idea to help while away some time, and keep little hands busy.

Many homes will have all the materials for this project lying close by.

Materials:

• Six sheets of paper (We used 8 by 10 inch white printer paper, but kids can get creative by drawing or color the paper first, using different colored construction paper or using smaller or larger paper or newspaper.)
• Invisible tape
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Pencil

Instructions (see photos for a step-by-step guide):

1. Take one sheet of paper and fold the top right edge diagonally toward you.

2. Cut off the remaining paper, so you have a right triangle.

3. Flip the triangle so that the long side is the base. Lightly draw three straight lines parallel to each of the triangle's shorter sides (you can use a ruler for precision, but the lines only need to be fairly straight). The lines should be about an inch from each other, and each should end an inch before the one above it. Additionally, the lines should start an inch below the top of the triangle and should not meet the other side's lines.  

4. Cut each line so that you have three flaps for each side, in addition to the center piece.

5. Open the piece of paper and flip it, so you now have a diamond with multiple slits and an upward-facing crease down the center.

6. Starting with the two large, outer flaps, fold the flaps toward each other so that they meet. Make sure you use the two flaps that have an open slit directly beneath them. Tape the flaps together.

7. Repeat Step 6, but fold the flaps in the opposite direction. Do the same for the remaining flap and the two sides of the center piece.

8. Repeat Steps 1 through 8 for the remaining five sheets of paper.

9. You should now have six individual snowflakes. Take two of these flakes and staple the tops together. Make sure that the tops are stapled in a way that allows the outer-most layer of one snow flake to be touching the second-most outer layer of the other snowflake.

10. Add three of the remaining four snowflakes the same way, stapling all the tops together so that they are all pointing up.

11. For the sixth and final snowflake, staple the top so it's facing the opposite direction in comparison with the other five. The sides should still match up, so that the outer and second-most outer layers of the last snowflake are touching their opposites.

12. Staple all the sides together. You are finished! Hang your snowflake around the house or tape it to a window and enjoy.