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.
The openings in this folded working guide meet an edge. Begin those cuts from the indicated edge instead of piercing through a retained stem. Small scissors may suit the accessible contours, but check the folded thickness and your ability to turn the paper first. 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 Lace Wheel Snowflake pattern
Lace Wheel is a continuous scalloped disc with six large teardrop windows and six small holes near the rim. Its difficulty comes from keeping separate openings inside an unbroken border, rather than from cutting six free-standing branches.
- Follow the continuous rim
- Trace the paper around the outside of every teardrop and small round hole with your eye. That border must remain joined all the way around; the scalloped edge is its outer boundary.
- Find the solid routes to the center
- The broad bands between neighboring teardrops connect the center to the rim. Treat these bands as retained paper, even where two nearby cut contours seem tempting to join.
- Separate holes from printed marks
- The six small openings near the scallops are part of the design. They are not alignment dots. Locate their matching cut contours in the folded guide before starting them.
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 a complete rim around the small holes and broad roots at the center.
4. Cut the outside silhouette
Follow the red outside contour while retaining the black paper. Keep a complete rim around the small holes and broad roots at the center. 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 lace wheel 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 Lace Wheel Snowflake
- Finish openings while the border is supported
- Follow the inner-opening stage before trimming the scalloped outside. On the folded guide, some openings meet a fold edge; use the actual access shown there instead of treating every finished hole as an enclosed cut.
- Round each scallop deliberately
- Turn the supported paper around each curved lobe. Avoid taking a straight shortcut between scallops, especially beside a small hole, where that shortcut can remove part of the rim.
- Lift by a broad band
- When opening the folds, support the area between teardrops and release the outside gradually. Do not pull through a small rim hole or use one scallop as a handle for the whole disc.
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.
Lace Wheel Snowflake: common questions
Why did the outside ring detach from the center?
Check the bands between the large teardrops. If two openings were joined across one of those bands, the center-to-rim connection was cut away. Do not enlarge neighboring windows to make them easier to reach; restore the printed spacing on your next attempt.
Can I leave out the small round holes for a practice version?
Yes. Leaving those areas uncut adds paper and produces a plainer rim. Keep the original outer boundary and teardrop spacing. This changes the pictured design, but lets you concentrate on the larger openings and scalloped edge first.
What should I check before flattening the wheel?
Look for trapped scraps in the teardrops, complete paper around every small hole, and an intact border between scallops. Release a remaining attachment with the paper supported; pulling the waste can tear a nearby part of the rim.
For general fold alignment and print-size problems, see the snowflake troubleshooting guide. To try a different structure, compare the 20 paper snowflake templates.
