Know what stays. Know what goes.
The cutting guide shows the folded 30-degree working wedge. Read the retained black paper and marked waste together; an opening in the unfolded picture may meet a folded edge in this guide.
Preserve narrow connections between shapes. Loose shapes need a backing sheet or separate placement; the drawing has not been physically tested for connectivity.
Print the right guide for this snowflake
Choose A4 or US Letter to match the paper loaded in your printer. Print at 100% / Actual size, turn off Fit to page and browser headers and footers, then measure the 50 mm calibration line. If it is not exactly 50 mm, correct the print settings before tracing.
- Page 1 — unfolded reference and round blank. Cut the 180 mm circle shown on the first page. A4 and Letter use the same design size; the page margins differ.
- Page 2 — folding sequence. Follow the half thirds half sequence. Keep the original center as the pointed end.
- Page 3 — full-size working wedge. Match the point and both straight fold edges to your folded paper before tracing. This is the sheet to use for folded cutting.
- Page 4 — cutting and opening order. Keep these step illustrations beside you; they are not full-size tracing patterns.
The SVG and PNG show the unfolded artwork. Use the PDF working wedge for folded paper. A small screen preview or a resized image is not a substitute for the calibrated sheet. SVG cutting-machine compatibility has not been tested.
Choose paper and tools for this pattern
Use thin paper that remains manageable when folded into twelve layers. Test a small folded scrap with your scissors before tracing the whole design. Thick card or slippery stacked sheets can make fine turns harder; use one circle per trial and stop if you have to force the tool.
This working wedge contains closed openings. Have an adult use a craft knife and cutting mat for those areas if scissors cannot enter without cutting retained paper. Never cross a black bridge just to reach a hole. A ruler checks the print scale; a light pencil or low-tack tape helps transfer the guide without shifting the layers.
Difficulty and time are planning estimates, not measured cutting results. Make one trial before choosing quantities or timing for a class. The snowflake materials guide explains how to prepare the paper and tools.
Read the Feather Leaf Snowflake pattern
Feather Leaf uses three pairs of small almond-shaped openings inside every pointed leaf. These details make it more demanding than the open branch designs. Check the small enclosed cuts and the paper around them before choosing it for a first project or a group activity.
- Find the solid middle vein
- The paired openings sit on either side of a central strip. That strip connects the leaf tip to its base. Keep it intact instead of joining the openings across the middle.
- Follow the border around the holes
- The outer leaf outline surrounds all three pairs of openings. Narrow bands also separate neighboring holes. Both the outer border and these small internal bridges must remain.
- Recognize the closed openings
- The small almond cuts are set inside the leaf rather than opening onto its outside edge. Use the folded guide to locate each one; do not create a slit from a leaf edge to reach it.
Explore this pattern in the snowflake maker · Follow the six-point folding tutorial
Fold and cut your six-point snowflake
Circle paper • 30-degree sector • 12 layers
Start with a 180 mm circle. Fold in half, fold the semicircle in thirds to make a 60-degree sector, then fold that sector in half. The final 30-degree wedge has 12 layers; its pointed tip is the original paper center.
Start with the round blank on PDF page 1. The step illustrations show the sequence; use page 3 for tracing at actual size. Keep supporting paper until the outside-cutting step.
1. Prepare the circle
Print the matching PDF at 100% and check the 50 mm line. Cut a 180 mm circle from thin paper using the gray outline on page 1. Mark its center lightly; it will become the pointed end of every fold.
2. Fold to a 30-degree wedge
Fold the circle in half. Divide the semicircle into three equal 60-degree sectors and fold both sides inward. Fold the resulting 60-degree stack in half once more. Keep all 12 layers aligned; the rounded edge is away from the center. Align the center tip and both folded edges with the full-size guide on PDF page 3, then trace its cutting contours.
3. Cut the inner openings
Cut the small marked openings before the outside edge. An opening that reaches a folded edge can be started there; an enclosed opening needs an adult using a craft knife on a cutting mat. Cut the small almond openings slowly and keep the middle vein unbroken.
4. Cut the outside silhouette
Follow the red outside contour while retaining the black paper. Cut the small almond openings slowly and keep the middle vein unbroken. Blue dashed marks locate folded edges; do not cut along them. Support the stack and turn the paper for corners.
5. Open the layers gently
Separate the last fold first, then open the thirds and finally the semicircle. Support the center and release each branch without pulling on its tip. The 30-degree cut unit repeats by reflection to make six matching arms.
6. Flatten and display
Lay feather leaf snowflake between clean sheets under a book. Use small removable tape tabs on broad areas for a window display, or mount it flat on a contrasting card. Save the SVG if you want to edit the geometry.
Print the PDF at 100% or Actual size. Its 50 mm check line must measure 50 mm. The full circle and folded guide use the same scale. Difficulty and time are planning estimates; this design has not been physically trial-cut.
Use the matching PDF working wedge for tracing; the step pictures are illustrations. A4 is the default; the Letter download uses a Letter sheet. Try a scrap first to check fragile bridges.
Cutting checks for Feather Leaf Snowflake
- Plan access before cutting the outline
- The enclosed details need controlled access through the stack, with a craft knife and mat handled by an adult where required. If the chosen tool cannot make them comfortably, select a simpler template before removing the outer margin.
- Keep the almond ends separate
- Work around one small opening at a time. Stop at its ends and inspect the black paper beside it before moving to the next. Enlarging two neighboring holes can erase their connecting bridge.
- Release each leaf from its base
- After the outer contour is complete, unfold with support under the leaf root and long central vein. Avoid pulling on the pointed tip or lifting the snowflake through one of its small openings.
If the layers stop lining up, pause before making another cut. Compare the folded tip and edges with PDF page 3. If a piece has already detached, a backing can hold it for display, but it will no longer be a connected paper cut.
Feather Leaf Snowflake: common questions
Can I cut a slit from the edge into each almond opening?
The supplied pattern keeps those openings enclosed. Access slits would break the outer border and change how the leaf holds together. Use suitable adult-handled tools for the enclosed details, or choose an open-edge pattern such as Pine Branch.
Why has the middle of my leaf turned into one long opening?
Cuts may have crossed the middle vein or joined holes that should remain separate. Compare the six distinct openings in an opened reference leaf. On another sheet, retain the black strips between holes and along the center instead of widening the details.
Can I leave out the smallest openings?
Leaving selected openings uncut keeps more paper in the design and creates a simpler, heavier leaf. Make that choice on the folded guide so the omission repeats consistently. Do not enlarge the remaining holes to compensate; their surrounding bridges still matter.
For general fold alignment and print-size problems, see the snowflake troubleshooting guide. To try a different structure, compare the 20 paper snowflake templates.
