Six snowflakes to a sheet, every one of them different and every one built properly: a single wedge of cuts mirrored and turned six times, which is why they are symmetric the way a real snowflake is. Cut round the outside line, then cut the star out of the middle. Press Regenerate and you get six new ones.
These are generated, not clip art
Most free snowflake templates are the same half dozen drawings passed around for years. These are built from scratch each time: a 60 degree wedge is cut to a random pattern, then mirrored and rotated six times to close the shape. Six fold symmetry is what makes a snowflake look like a snowflake, and it is what a hand cut paper one has.
Because the pattern is generated, Regenerate is not a shuffle of a fixed library. It draws a new set of six. If you are cutting a dozen for a window, that is the difference between a window of identical shapes and a window that looks like snow.
Detail and how many to a sheet
Three levels of detail change how much is cut away along each arm. Simple leaves broader arms with fewer notches, which is what you want for scissors in small hands or for card. Detailed cuts finer teeth into the edges and is the sheet for a craft knife and patience.
Four or six to a sheet. Six is the default and gives snowflakes of a good size for a garland or a window. Four makes each one noticeably larger, which is easier to cut and better if they are going on a tree.
Cutting them cleanly
Cut the outside line first and work round the whole snowflake before going anywhere near the middle. Doing it the other way weakens the centre while the arms are still attached to the sheet, and that is when an arm snaps off.
The six pointed star in the middle is a separate cut. Push the point of a small pair of scissors through the centre of it, then cut out to each point. On 160gsm card a craft knife and a cutting mat are easier than scissors for that part.
For a window, 80gsm printer paper is better than card. It lets light through and it takes the fold if you want to curl an arm forward. Card is for anything that has to stand up to being handled.
Questions
- How many snowflake templates are on one sheet?
- Six by default, and all six are different patterns rather than the same one repeated. The control above the paper changes it to four, which makes each snowflake larger and easier to cut.
- Are the snowflakes the same every time?
- No. A new set is generated every time the page opens and every time you press Regenerate, so you can print as many sheets as you want without two snowflakes matching.
- What paper should I print snowflake templates on?
- Ordinary 80gsm printer paper for anything going in a window, because it lets light through and folds. Use 160gsm card for snowflakes that will be handled, hung on a tree or stuck to a board.
- Are they really six fold symmetric?
- Yes. Each one is built from a single 60 degree wedge that is mirrored and then rotated six times round the centre, which is the same symmetry a real snowflake has and the same result you get from folding paper into twelve layers.
- How do I cut the star in the middle?
- Cut the outside of the snowflake first so the arms are free, then pierce the centre of the star with the point of a small pair of scissors and cut outwards to each of its six points. On card, a craft knife on a cutting mat is cleaner.