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 Swallowtail Snowflake pattern
Swallowtail combines a forked outer tip with a narrow inner opening on each of its six arms. Its critical connection is the strip of paper between the bottom of the V notch and the top of the inner opening. Keep those two cuts separate throughout.
- Locate the V and the inner opening
- The deep V is open to the outside. The narrow white shape below it is a different cut. Find the black band between them on the working guide before you begin.
- Keep both sides of each fork
- The two outer tips belong to one wide arm. Each side needs an unbroken route around the inner opening to the stem. Do not remove a side rail to reach the hole.
- Notice the narrow lower arm
- The wide fork tapers toward the center. The white space between neighboring arms is exterior waste, but the black taper itself must stay attached to the central hub.
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. Stop each V notch above the leaf opening so its two sides remain connected.
4. Cut the outside silhouette
Follow the red outside contour while retaining the black paper. Stop each V notch above the leaf opening so its two sides remain connected. 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 swallowtail 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 Swallowtail Snowflake
- Complete the inner opening first
- Follow its printed contour while the outside margin still supports the stack. Leave its upper point exactly where marked so the later V cut has a full paper connection below it.
- Stop at the bottom of the V
- Cut one side of the outer notch, turn the paper, then cut the other side to meet it. Avoid extending either cut toward the inner opening to free a stubborn corner.
- Support both tail tips when opening
- Separate the mirrored halves gently and inspect the band beneath the V. Lift the arm from its wider lower section rather than pulling the two fork tips 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.
Swallowtail Snowflake: common questions
Why has the V joined the inner opening?
The V was cut too deeply, the inner opening was extended upward, or both cuts moved toward each other. That removes the band joining the two fork sides. Start again with the original contours and check that black band before opening the stack.
Is this a twelve-point snowflake?
It has six repeated main arms, each ending in two tips. Those split ends can give the outline twelve visible points, but the folding method is still the same sixfold arrangement of a 30-degree wedge.
The two tips of one arm look different. Can I even them up?
Check the fold alignment first. The matching halves should come from the same folded cut. If layers slipped, trimming one tip after opening can hide the symptom but will not restore symmetry across all six arms. Use a more carefully aligned stack for a matching set.
For general fold alignment and print-size problems, see the snowflake troubleshooting guide. To try a different structure, compare the 20 paper snowflake templates.
