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Paper Craft
How to Make 3 Different 3D Snowflakes Out of Paper Download Article Paper crafting expert Katharina Tarta explains the basics of making a sturdy paper snowflake Co-authored by Katharina Tarta and Luke Smith, MFA
Last Updated: January 11, 2026 Fact Checked
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Basic 3D Snowflake
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Flowery Snowflake
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Accordion-Style Snowflake
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This article was co-authored by Katharina Tarta and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Katharina Tarta is a paper crafting expert based in Munich, Germany. After developing a lifelong passion for crafting, Katharina launched her crafting social media pages and paper crafting business in 2022. Katharina has built an engaged community of crafting enthusiasts online, where she regularly shares tutorials on popular paper crafts, showcases elaborate cards and other paper arts, and shares crafting recommendations for her audience via curated storefronts. Her Instagram page, katharina_tarta_crafts, has 500K followers on Instagram. She received a Master's degree in Biochemistry. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 8,524,693 times.
3D paper snowflakes look magnificent hanging in a window or on a wall, and add a bit more pizazz than regular flat paper snowflakes. Not to mention they’re easy to make, and can be put together with supplies you probably already have at home. We’ll show you how to craft 3 different, simple styles of 3D snowflakes to add some wintry cheer to your home.
Tips to Make a DIY 3D Paper Snowflake
Paper crafting expert Katharina Tarta says there are several ways to make paper snowflakes. Whichever method you choose, it works best to use heavy-duty construction paper. If possible, use liquid glue instead of a glue stick or tape. Try this easy method:
Fold a square piece of paper diagonally down the center, then again to create a small triangle.
Cut 3 slits into the triangle’s large, central fold. Then unfold the paper.
Bring the corners of the innermost cuts together and fasten them with tape or glue. Flip the paper over, and fasten the next pair. Flip and repeat for the remaining cuts.
Repeat the process to create 5 more snowflake arms, then fasten the arms together at the center to create a basic 3D snowflake.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Basic 3D Snowflake
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1 Fold a square sheet of paper in half diagonally, twice. Take one corner of the sturdy square paper, and fold it to meet the opposite corner to make a triangle. Then, fold the triangle in half to make a smaller triangle.[1]XResearch source
If you’re using a rectangular piece of paper, position it vertically and fold the top left corner down to meet the right edge of the paper, then cut off the excess paper peeking out from the bottom to make a square sheet of paper.
2 Cut three slits in the triangle. Position the scissors along the large fold, parallel to the longest edge of the triangle. Cut almost all the way to the other edge, leaving about 1 in (2.5 cm) of space. Then, move the scissors toward the point of the triangle, and make a parallel cut that also stops about 1 in (2.5 cm) from the other edge. Repeat this cut once more, to make a final, smaller cut. Then unfold the paper completely.[2]XResearch source
For a more intricate snowflake, make 1-2 more evenly spaced cuts.
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3 Roll and tape the first 2 innermost corners together to form a tube. Position your unfolded square so that it resembles a diamond. Then, take the middle corners nearest the center fold, and overlap them. Tape these two pieces together.[3]XResearch source
Alternatively, secure the corners together with glue for a cleaner look. Just be sure to hold them together with your fingers until the glue dries.
4 Flip the paper, and join the next 2 corners. Turn the paper over so that the tube you just made faces the table. Take the next two paper strips and pull them together and tape together as before, securing the strips on the opposite side of the snowflake as the first pair. Your 3D snowflake is starting to take shape![4]XResearch source
5 Fold and tape the rest of the strips. Turn the paper over again, and join the next 2 corners. Repeat with each pair of strips until they’ve all been joined, turning the paper over between each pair. You now have the first point of your snowflake. Set it aside for later.[5]XResearch source
6 Make 5 more points for your snowflake. Repeat the steps, folding, cutting, and joining the corners of 5 more sheets of square paper, until you have 5 identical points for your 3D snowflake.[6]XResearch source
7 Staple 3 of the points together at the tip. Join 3 of the completed, folded sections together at one end, and staple them so that they’re secured. Then do the same for the remaining 3 pieces. Now you have 2 large pieces consisting of 3 points or "arms" each.[7]XResearch source
For smaller snowflakes, it may be easier to use double-sided tape or white glue in place of staples.
8 Staple the 2 large pieces together. Join the 2 large pieces at the middle, where each of the 3 smaller pieces have already been stapled. Now all 6 points of your snowflake are joined, but we’re not done just yet. Staple the outer sections where the arms touch to make the snowflake sturdier. Ta-dah! Your 3D paper snowflake is complete.[8]XResearch source
Fasten your 3D snowflake to lollipop sticks using a push pin to make a pinwheel.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Flowery Snowflake
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1 Fold a square piece of paper in half diagonally, 3 times. Place the paper on a flat surface and fold it in half so that one corner touches the opposite corner, creating a triangle. Then, fold the triangle in half to create a smaller triangle. Finally, repeat the fold to make an even smaller triangle.[9]XResearch source
2 Cut an arc from the center of the fold to the far corner. Using a pencil, mark the center of the folded side of the triangle. Then, draw a curved line from that point to the far corner of the folded triangle. Use a pair of scissors to cut across the line, creating a petal shape.[10]XResearch source
3 Cut 2 arcs toward the folded edge of the petal. Starting at the long, straight edge of the paper, draw an arc that follows the rounded edge of the petal, and stops about 0.25 in (0.64 cm) away from the long edge. Make a similar line beneath it, so that both lines resemble an incomplete rainbow. Then, use scissors to cut along both lines.[11]XResearch source
4 Unfold the paper, and add a dab of liquid glue to the center. Once unfolded, your snowflake will resemble a flower with 4 petals, each of the petals cut into 3 smaller petals. Add a pea-sized dab of liquid craft glue to the center of the flower.[12]XResearch source
5 Fold the innermost petals toward the center of the flower. Working 1 at a time, gently take hold of the center petals of each of the 4 larger petals, and press their tips onto the dab of glue. Hold all 4 in place for 30-40 seconds, or until they’ve been secured by the glue.[13]XResearch source
6 Make a second flower, and glue it to the back of the first. Repeat the process to create another 3D flower. Then, glue the backs of both flowers together with another pea-sized dab of glue. Let it dry for a couple minutes and, voila! Your super-cute, flowery, 3D snowflake is complete.[14]XResearch source
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Accordion-Style Snowflake
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1 Fold and glue a piece of square paper roughly into the thirds. To fold a piece of paper into thirds, first bend it so that the opposite edges touch, and press a finger into the bend to make a partial fold, or “crimp.” Then unfold the paper and fold the opposite edges toward the center. For this snowflake, make the edges overlap slightly, then use a glue stick to glue 1 edge onto the other to make a tall rectangle.[15]XResearch source
2 Fold and glue the rectangle in half hamburger style. Fold the paper so that the shorter edges come together. Then unfold it and apply glue along the center seam, where you glued the paper before. Press the 2 halves together to complete the hamburger fold, creating a smaller, layered rectangle.[16]XResearch source
3 Cut a jagged pattern out of the rectangle. Starting from the bottom of one long edge, make large, triangular cuts out of 3 of the rectangle’s sides, sort of like you would when making a regular paper snowflake. Improvise and get creative, but make your cuts relatively simple, and avoid cutting into the large fold at the bottom of the rectangle.[17]XResearch source
If you’re unsure of how to cut, trace a christmas tree design into the rectangle and use that as a template for your paper snowflake pattern.
This piece of paper will serve as the first part of your snowflake, and you’ll use it as a template for the rest of the pieces.
4 Cut and fold 4 identical rectangles. Repeat the folding and gluing process to make 4 more paper rectangles. Then, using the first rectangle as a template, trace its pattern onto the other 4 rectangles, and cut out the same shape as before.[18]XResearch source
You’ll now have 5 identical pieces to your snowflake.
5 Stack and glue the snowflake pieces on top of each other. Make a line of glue vertically down the center of the first piece, and then another line along the bottom fold. Take another snowflake piece and press it on top of the first, so that the shapes line up evenly. Repeat the process until all 5 snowflake pieces are glued together.[19]XResearch source
6 Glue the front of the stack to the back of the stack. This is where the magic happens: Apply glue to the top of the paper stack as you did before. Then, pick up the stack and gently bring the top face around to the back, unfolding and revealing your 3D snowflake! Press the faces together to secure them.[20]XResearch source
Experiment with different cutting patterns on your next snowflakes to make a unique and mesmerizing snowflake each time.
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Question Can I use cardboard paper to do this craft? wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer As long as the paper is somewhat flexible to accommodate the folding and bending, you should be good to go. Give it a try! Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 7 Helpful 5
Question Why do we have to make 7 more parts to make a snowflake? wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer The snowflake is made out of 7 joined pieces of folded paper. You can use more or fewer to make a larger or smaller snowflake, but we wouldn't recommend using any fewer than about 5 pieces. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 9 Helpful 15
Question Thank you for the great idea, I just used thin paper, and it didn't go well, it was all flimsy and wouldn't stay put, what should I do? Is thin paper (printer paper) easy to use for this snowflake? wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer These snowflakes tend to work better with sturdier types of paper, like construction paper. If all you have is printer paper, try making smaller snowflakes, which are sturdier. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 5
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement Did this article help you? Say thanks with a small tip. $1 $3 $5 Leave a Tip Support our mission to help everyone in the world learn how to do anything.
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Tips
Try scrapbook paper with different patterns on each side for an interesting look. Thanks Helpful 21 Not Helpful 16
Use different sizes of paper for a larger or smaller snowflake. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 6
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Warnings
Always supervise young children when allowing them to use scissors. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 4
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Things You'll Need
Square paper
Scissors
Tape
Liquid craft glue
Glue stick
Stapler
Pencil
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Co-authored by: Katharina Tarta Paper Crafting Expert This article was co-authored by Katharina Tarta and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Katharina Tarta is a paper crafting expert based in Munich, Germany. After developing a lifelong passion for crafting, Katharina launched her crafting social media pages and paper crafting business in 2022. Katharina has built an engaged community of crafting enthusiasts online, where she regularly shares tutorials on popular paper crafts, showcases elaborate cards and other paper arts, and shares crafting recommendations for her audience via curated storefronts. Her Instagram page, katharina_tarta_crafts, has 500K followers on Instagram. She received a Master's degree in Biochemistry. This article has been viewed 8,524,693 times. 89 votes - 73% Co-authors: 260Updated: January 11, 2026 Views: 8,524,693 Categories: Featured Articles | Paper CraftArticle SummaryX
To make a 3D paper snowflake, you’ll need 6 square pieces of paper that are all the same size, scissors, and clear tape. To get started, fold one of the squares in half diagonally so it’s a triangle. Then, fold the triangle in half so you’re left with a smaller triangle. Use your scissors to cut 3 evenly-spaced vertical slits along one of the short sides of the triangle, stopping each slit before you reach the other side. Now, unfold the paper all the way so it’s a square again. Tape the tips of the 2 innermost flaps together. Then, flip the paper over, and tape the tips of the next 2 flaps together. Flip the paper over again and tape the third pair of flaps together, then do the same thing on the other side one more time with the last 2 flaps. Now you’re finished with the first arm of the snowflake. Set the first arm aside, and repeat with the other 5 squares. When you’re finished, tape the bottoms of 2 of the snowflake arms together. Then, tape the arms together where they touch in the middle. Tape on the rest of the snowflake arms one at a time. Once you’ve attached the final arm, your 3D paper snowflake is finished! Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Reader Success Stories
Susan J.
Dec 6, 2016
"I have seen these used at the school where I teach, but they are the perfect ornament for a family with no money and small children. It won't break and hurt anyone, and it is easily replaced if a child crushes it. I want to try them with double-sided origami paper or two fabrics fused together so they will be stiff and two different patterns."..." more
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Yes No Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Katharina Tarta Paper Crafting Expert 89 votes - 73% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 260Updated: January 11, 2026 Views: 8,524,693
Susan J.
Dec 6, 2016
"I have seen these used at the school where I teach, but they are the perfect ornament for a family with no money and small children. It won't break and hurt anyone, and it is easily replaced if a child crushes it. I want to try them with double-sided origami paper or two fabrics fused together so they will be stiff and two different patterns."..." more
Ursula Anderson
Dec 13, 2016
"The pictures and descriptions made it possible for me to make decorations that I'd always admired elsewhere. This year, I am alone and unemployed, so I desperately needed ways to make the holidays meaningful. I made stars instead of more expensive decorations and had a good time doing it."..." more
Linda Holder
Oct 24, 2021
"I liked how easy this looked to make. Our seniors crafters at the senior center I hope will be going to try this. We are 65 and up to 90 year old ladies having fun making things pretty. I am looking forward to showing these and helping them."..." more
Sandy S.
Nov 2, 2017
"I have a hard time with written text only. Having a video to see each step was very helpful. My snowflake turned out beautifully the first time. Thank you for such a wonderful video. I will be using this in a class I teach for adults."..." more
Evangeline Lazaro
Nov 11, 2017
"Actually, two years ago I made hundreds of these snowflakes to decorate a big church for Christmas, but I forgot how to cut the folded paper. I tried several attempts to no avail, so I resorted to Googling it and found this site."..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Download Article Paper crafting expert Katharina Tarta explains the basics of making a sturdy paper snowflake Co-authored by Katharina Tarta and Luke Smith, MFA 
$1 $3 $5 Leave a Tip Support our mission to help everyone in the world learn how to do anything. 
How toMake an Origami Christmas Tree 
How toCut Out a Star 
How toFold a Paper Star 
How toMake a Paper Butterfly 
How toMake an Origami Star Box 
How toMake Paper Flowers 
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Co-authored by: Katharina Tarta Paper Crafting Expert This article was co-authored by Katharina Tarta and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Katharina Tarta is a paper crafting expert based in Munich, Germany. After developing a lifelong passion for crafting, Katharina launched her crafting social media pages and paper crafting business in 2022. Katharina has built an engaged community of crafting enthusiasts online, where she regularly shares tutorials on popular paper crafts, showcases elaborate cards and other paper arts, and shares crafting recommendations for her audience via curated storefronts. Her Instagram page, katharina_tarta_crafts, has 500K followers on Instagram. She received a Master's degree in Biochemistry. This article has been viewed 8,524,693 times. 89 votes - 73% Co-authors: 260 Updated: January 11, 2026 Views: 8,524,693 Categories: Featured Articles | Paper Craft Article SummaryX
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1 Fold a square sheet of paper in half diagonally, twice. Take one corner of the sturdy square paper, and fold it to meet the opposite corner to make a triangle. Then, fold the triangle in half to make a smaller triangle.[1] 
wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. 