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 Ginkgo Fan Snowflake pattern
Ginkgo Fan has six broad fan tips, each with a shallow central cleft and three long openings that radiate from its base. The ribs between those openings and the narrow stem below the fan must remain continuous.
- Distinguish the cleft from the center slot
- The shallow notch enters from the fan’s outside edge. The long center opening stops before it reaches that notch. Keep the paper between them instead of joining the two cuts.
- Follow the three radial slots
- The center opening and its two angled neighbors are separate. Read the paper ribs between them from their lower ends toward the curved fan edge.
- Check the fan root
- All of the ribs lead into the narrow lower fan and its stem. The slots stop above that root. Extending them downward can split the fan into loose strips even if the outside remains attractive.
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. Keep the ribs between the fan slots and do not deepen the central cleft.
4. Cut the outside silhouette
Follow the red outside contour while retaining the black paper. Keep the ribs between the fan slots and do not deepen the central cleft. 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 ginkgo 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 Ginkgo Fan Snowflake
- Complete slots before the fan outline
- Keep the surrounding blank in place while working on the long openings. The folded guide includes an enclosed side opening; do not cut through a rib to reach it. Use appropriate tools with adult handling of a craft knife.
- Support both sides of a long slot
- Work carefully toward the tapered ends without lengthening them. A remaining scrap can catch between the layers; release it rather than pulling it along the narrow rib.
- Keep the outer cleft shallow
- When cutting the fan edge, stop at the marked bottom of the notch. Unfold while supporting the fan root, then ease the broad fan open without pulling its two halves apart.
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.
Ginkgo Fan Snowflake: common questions
Why did the fan split down the middle?
The outer cleft may have reached the central slot, or the slot may have been extended into the root. Both ends of the central opening need retained paper around them to keep the fan together.
Are all three slots accessible from the fold?
No. The working wedge includes an enclosed side opening, even though the center slot meets a fold edge. Use the actual folded guide to plan access; never make a connecting slit through a retained rib.
Can I omit the side slots for a first attempt?
Leaving a side opening uncut gives a more solid fan and adds supporting paper. Keep the marked outside shape and shallow central cleft. Do not compensate by widening the center slot, which would reduce the ribs you are trying to preserve.
For general fold alignment and print-size problems, see the snowflake troubleshooting guide. To try a different structure, compare the 20 paper snowflake templates.
