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3-D paper snowflake shown against backdrop of a window with Christmas lights reflecting
3-D paper snowflake shown against backdrop of a window with Christmas lights reflecting
Original photo by Elena Johnston
Style > Decor

Holiday DIY: 3-D Paper Snowflakes

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at LUM chapter.

Christmas is a crafter’s dream…glitter, baked goods, and decor everywhere. As a self-proclaimed human elf, I adore getting to create and make some Christmas magic myself. So, I teamed up with my sister (aka my crafter in crime) and we tested out five holiday crafts that will fill up your holiday break and make you a bit more jolly.

Welcome to my final installment of holiday DIYs; Today we’re making 3-D paper snowflakes!

Saving the best for last! I’ve been making these 3-D paper snowflakes for years and they never cease to amaze me with their beauty and their easiness. Super elegant and way more elevated than traditional paper snowflakes, this final DIY is a special family tradition that I am excited to share with all of you.

Close up of 3-D paper snowflake
Original photo by Elena Johnston

What you will need:  

  • Paper (any color will do but white works best for the snowflake theme, we normally just use regular old copy paper) 

  • Tape 

  • Scissors 

  • Glitter or glitter glue (optional) 

  • Ribbon (optional) 

Directions:

  1. Cut your paper so that it is a square.

  2. Fold the square diagonally and then diagonally again (should look like a three folded triangle with flaps).

  3. Taking your scissors, hold the paper so the widest part is facing you and cut from the flaps to the main fold. Do not cut through the fold, stop right before it. Repeat this for the rest of the paper, never cutting off anything but just creating slits. It can be confusing at first but you’ll get it in no time! 

  4. Open the paper up. You should have a series of concentric slits.

  5. Starting at the innermost slits, take the two ends and tape them together 

  6. Flip the paper over and tape the next most inner slits together.  

  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all the slits are taped together. The result should be this delicate icicle-looking sculpture.

  8. While you can totally stop here and have an icy ornament, for the full snowflake, repeat these steps with 5 more pieces of paper.  

  9. Once you have completed all 6 icicle ornaments, tape them together to form a snowflake shape.  

  10. Finish with ribbon or glitter if desired!

3-D paper snowflake shown against backdrop of a window with Christmas lights reflecting
Original photo by Elena Johnston

While it may seem a bit confusing, this craft is the perfect homemade Christmas (or really winter in general) decor. Hang it up in your room or windows so you can always be reminded of the Christmas season.  

I hope you’ve enjoyed this DIY series throughout December! If you want to check out the other holiday DIYs we’ve shared this month, here they are:

You can click on the title to be taken to that DIY article! Also, a fellow writer for HC at LUM wrote a DIY post on how to make wintery snowglobes – click here to read her post!

Crafting can not only stave off boredom and create some amazing results, but it can also bring people together. Get your friends and family and get holiday crafting Greyhounds! 

Elena Johnston is the Editor in Chief for Her Campus at LUM. She is a senior Global Studies and Communications double major with a focus in PR at Loyola University Maryland. She is also the Communications Pathways Intern at the US Agency for International Development Bureau of Europe and Eurasia. You can usually find her in a bookstore or library listening to Taylor Swift.
Peyton Skeels is a senior at Loyola University Maryland studying Economics with a minor in Entrepreneurship. She is an RA, member of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society, and currently serves as a co-Campus Correspondent and the Editor-in-Chief for HC at LUM. When not studying, you'll find her gazing through her camera lens, listening to a podcast, or working on her blog, Patience and Pajamas.