How To Make a Snowflake, Brought to you by Livvy

I LOVE snowflakes. Paper ones, I mean. The real ones are too cold.

My mom and I got this thing at the service auction a few years ago, and we and this group of Unitarians learned how to make perfect snowflakes. I am the only one in my family who still remembers, even though I reteach it EVERY FREAKING YEAR. I figured that someone out there might want to know how to make a non- rectangular, non-square snowflake, plus I was bored and my dad's iphone was just LYING there I mean seriously could anyone resist? Okay, so here's how it goes, step by step.

So you get your piece of paper, right?

Then you fold it in half diagonally, so it makes this right triangle thing.

Then you cut the extra rectangle of paper off that triangle, leaving a square (folded in half) which you then fold in half again, so you have a smaller right triangle. This fold was just to find the middle, so don't worry about flattening it down or anything.

 

Then you unfold it...

Right, here's the REALLY hard part. Seriously tricky. This is the part that I wished I took the pictures right side up. You have to somehow fold your triangle into thirds- three equal pieces. The way I found this year that made it not-so-difficult-almost-easy was to look at the halves and stuff. You fold the first side so that it's top corner (in this picture, I guess bottom) is the same distance from the center as the bottom of it's other side. Here, I'll have to show you on Paint.

They are the same distances from the center, see? I don't know how else to explain it.

If you do that right, folding the other side will leave it all lining up perfectly on both sides. Ideally. This isn't a normal occurrence.

Then you fold it in half again. Make sure you line that one up as evenly as possible, it helps a lot with the cutting.

You take the top off of it, so that the entire top is the same height of paper.  

Then you make your first actual cut. You either embellish a straight triangle down, or make two triangles, one smaller than the other, like a check.I did the check one, obviously embellished a little. What's the fun without that?

Then you make some pretty cuts. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO GO DEEP. The problem with people when they make snowflakes is that they are so afraid to break them! Do not be afraid of cutting too far- delicate snowflakes are so pretty, seriously. 

That's what mine looked like when I unfolded it! (Which you have to do carefully, because of the aforementioned delicate cuts.)

Those are some others I've made.

How does everyone else make their snowflakes? Take a picture and show me!!!