Learn how to do an origami Christmas snowflake

Transcription

1 Learn how to do an origami Christmas snowflake Things you will need 6 evenly sized squares of paper - for that extra sparkle try our range of James Cropper speciality papers. The size of your paper square can vary from 4 to 10 (10cm - 25cm). The paper should be of a good strength to hold up the snowflake structure. Paper Scissors Tape Stapler Liquid glitter (optional) Glue

2 Steps 1 2 Assemble the materials. Refer to Things You ll Need, at the beginning of this tutorial. Fold each of the 6 pieces of paper in half, diagonally. If the paper you are using does not make a perfect triangle, cut off the rectangular edge that sticks out and make it align perfectly. 3 Cut 3 lines on each side of the triangle from the folded edge; make sure not to cut through the unfold- ed paper edges. The cut lines should be parallel to one another each side and come close to meeting in the middle but not touching; leave a small space between them. To make this easier, you can fold the triangle in half. This way you ll cut both sides at once, making a symmetrical snowflake. This might not be suitable for thicker paper, since the number of layers makes it difficult to cut through. 4 Unfold your paper and turn it so that the diamond shape is facing you for working with.

3 5 Still keeping your paper diamond side-up, roll the first two innermost paper lines together to form a tube. Tape these two pieces together. You should see triangle shapes on each side of the roll. 6 Turn the diamond over to the other side. Take the next two paper lines and pull them togeth- er on the opposite side of the tube and tape together as before. This will be a more rounded shape and wider than the first tube. 7 Keep turning the paper and joining the paper lines together on opposite side until all paper lines have been joined. 8 Repeat steps 3-7 with the remaining 5 pieces of paper. You may also now cut the paper en masse.

4 9 Join 3 of the completed rolled pieces together at one end and staple together using the other hand. Do the other 3 pieces the same way. Now you will have 2 pieces consisting of 3 strands or arms each. Staple the two new pieces together in the middle. You are almost done! Lastly, staple where each of the 6 arms meet. This ensures that the snowflake shape is pulled into place. See illustration at top for the finished snowflake.

5 Tips store very well (easily crushed) and you might be throwing them out. Of course, you can always pull off the additional decorated pieces and keep for another time or craft. Be patient. This is not a craft to be rushed but it is easy to make if you proceed slowly and carefully. Larger snowflakes: If you want larger snowflakes, use larger paper. You will probably need to cut more lines though; work it out from how large your piece of paper is. Don t try enlarging your snowflakes until you are comfortable with the method of making them with the suggested paper size first. Paper colour variations: Experiment by mixing different James Cropper Paper colour variations to match your home decor. Decoration ideas: If you want to jazz up your snowflakes, put liquid glitter on the snowflake along various parts of the paper lines. Silver, gold, red or green are probably the most suitable colours to use. Or you could think of other additions; the author tried tiny buttons and stick-on costume gems one year and they looked exquisite. Just remember though, that these do not For extra special results, mirror two pieces next to each other. WARNINGS Be patient when cutting the parallel lines, so that you don t over cut to the other edges or accidentally cut into the line on the opposite side; if this happens, start again with a new piece of paper. If you want a perfect snowflake, make sure the lines you cut are identical for each square. Work slow and steady. Rushing could lead to a ruined snowflake, or your hands being cut up by scissors.