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 Fern Fan Snowflake pattern
Fern Fan combines broad scalloped tips with paired elongated openings inside each fan. The outside curves are decorative, while the narrow paper between the inner openings carries much of the detail. Plan both parts before cutting so the fan does not become a fragile empty shell.
- Find the solid fan root
- Each fan narrows into a short root at the center. The innermost openings stop above it. Preserve that solid base instead of extending the cuts down toward the hub.
- Separate the paired openings
- Each fan contains three pairs of elongated windows. Their angles differ across the fan, but black paper separates every opening from its neighbors and from the center line.
- Read the scalloped edge
- The rounded bumps form one continuous outer border. Their shallow valleys are part of the retained outline; they are not invitations to cut inward toward the nearby windows.
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. Leave paper around each fan root and between the branching openings.
4. Cut the outside silhouette
Follow the red outside contour while retaining the black paper. Leave paper around each fan root and between the branching openings. 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 fern fan 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 Fern Fan Snowflake
- Finish the enclosed details first
- Keep the outside margin available as support while making each inner opening. Use the adult-handled craft knife and mat required for a closed detail rather than crossing a black rib to reach it.
- Turn through each scallop
- Cut the outer curve in short sections and turn the folded stack as you go. Stop at the shallow valley between bumps before changing direction, keeping that valley outside the inner openings.
- Support the whole fan while opening
- Slide a clean sheet beneath the broad fan as the layers separate. Work from the root outward and release the scalloped tips last; pulling a single bump can strain several narrow ribs.
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.
Fern Fan Snowflake: common questions
Are the spaces inside the fan one branching cut?
No. The supplied artwork has separate elongated openings. Follow each individual contour and retain the black ribs between them. Joining nearby openings changes the structure even if the result still resembles a fern.
Why did a scalloped section tear away?
A valley may have been cut too deeply toward a nearby opening, or the fan was pulled open by one small tip. Compare the border with the full reference and keep the original depth of each valley on a new attempt.
How can I simplify the fan without changing the fold?
You can leave some small inner openings uncut, making the fan more solid while retaining the same twelve-layer fold. Apply that choice to the folded work unit so it repeats consistently. Keep the original root and outside border rather than narrowing them.
For general fold alignment and print-size problems, see the snowflake troubleshooting guide. To try a different structure, compare the 20 paper snowflake templates.
