1. Start with a square piece of paper. (Tip: To cut a perfect square from a standard 8-by-11-inch sheet of paper, fold paper into a right-angled triangle; trim off excess.)

​

2. Fold paper in half diagonally to make a triangle.

​

3. Fold paper triangle in half so that the pointed corners meet.

​

4. Fold paper triangle in thirds, overlapping the lefthand pointed corner over the triangle.

​

5. Overlap the righthand pointed corner over the triangle. (Note: You may need to adjust these folds a little to get the sides to match up, so don't crease the paper until the folds are just right.)

​

6. Trim off the two pointed ends to make a paper triangle.

​

7. Cut your folded paper with variations of cutouts. (Tip: The ones with straight lines are easier to make than the ones with curvy lines.) 

​

8. Unfold it gently. Don't worry if your snowflake isn't exact: No two snowflakes are ever alike. (Tip: To smooth out any creases from folding, lightly iron one paper snowflake at a time on a low setting. You can also spritz a little spray starch to stiffen and flatten out the snowflakes.)

​