The EASY Paper Snowflakes That Are Accessible to Everyone

Winter is (basically) HERE! Wahoo! Fellow hermits, rejoice. 🤣 In my humble opinion, cutting paper snowflakes is the most classic, must-do winter art activity with your family. Maybe that is just because my mom always did it with us, but regardless, I love it. This blog post is going to teach your how to make EASY paper snowflakes that can involve all ages, because I know that it can turn to disaster real fast!

If the idea of sharp scissors and paper confetti makes you nervous, don’t leave yet! The main point of this blog post is to help make paper snowflakes accessible for all ages. With a few clever tips and tricks, you can make this classic winter craft an exciting, mess-managed activity for everyone. Grab your supplies and let’s make some magic!

Supplies for Easy Paper Snowflakes

Here are some suggested supplies for this project. You actually don’t even need copy paper! Whaaat, I know. Gone are the days of folding the big square then cutting off that extra skinny rectangle. You really only need coffee filters and scissors for this, but there are some extra things you may want to try! The links below are all Amazon affiliate or Walmart Creator links. As an Amazon Associate and Walmart Creator I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting my blog and free content!

• Coffee filters
• Scissors
• Loop scissors (Great when you have left-handed folks tring to use right-handed scissors, or when those fine motor finger cutting skills ae;t developed. these use grip muscles to cut.)
• Brushes
• Watercolors

Why Coffee Filters Are a Game-Changer

This is a recent hack, that has made it waaaay easier for my 5-year old to participate in snowflake cutting. I won’t lie, it is still tough as she is learning basic scissor skills, but it DOES make it easier and I saw her confidence grow using coffee filters instead of paper. Traditional paper can be tricky to cut, but coffee filters? They’re lightweight, pre-circular, and easy to fold—making them perfect for beginners! Plus, you don’t have to chop off that extra rectangular bit and waste any paper! Coffee filters also have a sort of translucent quality to them that feels more like a snowflake than copy paper in my opinion. I have found them to be really forgiving but also kind of tough! I mean if they can hold a giant mountain of soggy coffee grounds, they can handle a toddler with scissors, right?

• Bonus tip: Stack two or three coffee filters together so you can create multiple snowflakes with one round of cutting.

How to fold a coffee filter for the best snowflakes

This is really similar to how you would fold a normal snowflake but you get to skip cutting off any excess! You will fold it in half three times, but the third time, open the fold back up, and fold each side into that seam you created. Then fold those together and you have a nice small, compact triangle.

You can also just fold in half 4 times if you want it to be slightly easier for littles to cut. I definitely recommend this way for younger children, it is significantly easier! It is also easier to pre-fold and then stack them under something heavy so they are nice and flat when you hand them over to be cut. (I’m looking out for you so you can avoid the tantrums I had from the “I-can-do-it-myself” queens.)

Involve Your Kids in the Design Process

One of my favorite things about snowflakes is teaching how unique they are and helping children embrace “mistakes!” If your child is struggling to cut their snowflakes, and you can see this activity is about to blow up in your face, you can ask them to draw their designs and have you cut it for them. Don’t give up right away though! A little challenge is good for children and helps teach perseverance. Show them how to keep the scissors still and move the paper around the scissors with their other hand. Here is an overview of ways to give a little assist to our younger artists.

• Option 1: Hand them a pencil and let them sketch shapes on the folded filter. You can then cut out their design.
• Option 2: Draw a simple pattern for them to follow and practice cutting along the lines—great for improving fine motor skills!
• Option 3: Use cookie cutters or stencils to create fun outlines.
• Option 4: My daughters favorite part is unraveling the snowflake designs. If you have an artist who is really struggling to find a way to participate in a way that is making them happy (or are simply too little to hang, but to old to not have FOMO), consider giving them the official and very important title of “design opener.”

Add a Splash of Color Before Cutting

Plain white snowflakes are obviously classic, but I wouldn’t be a real art teacher if I didn’t encourage a little experimenting with color. 😬 Try these two methods before you cut your designs. Just know that the filters take a surprisingly long time to dry after being soaked (like a few hours) so maybe don’t promise anyone you can color and cut in one sitting!

• Paint: Have your child paint the coffee filter with watercolor paints before cutting. Let it dry completely to avoid soggy snowflakes.
• Markers: Use washable markers to create vibrant patterns, then spray the filters with water and watch the colors bleed and blend! Again, let them dry.

Experiment with Other Materials

Paper and coffee filters aren’t the only option for making snowflakes. Here is a list of other material ideas to experiment with!

• Tissue Paper: Delicate and translucent, tissue paper snowflakes look awesome in windows. But you do need a really light touch, fair warning.
• Foil Wrappers: Recycle candy or chocolate wrappers for shiny, festive snowflakes.
• Wax Paper: Add crayon shavings between two pieces of wax paper, iron them gently, and cut out your snowflake designs.

Display Ideas for easy paper snowflakes

Once your snowflakes are complete, it’s time to show them off! Here are some ideas on what to do with your ever-growing pile of coffee filter snowflakes. 😅

• Tape them to windows (obviously).
• String them together to make a garland.
• Attach them to gifts for personalized wrapping paper.
• Create a mini “blizzard” wall.
• Snail mail them to your favorite people.

Bonus Tips for Stress-Free Snowflake Crafting

• Use sharp (not dull) scissors and demonstrate folding and cutting techniques first. Always a good time to cover scissor safety!
• Lay down a plastic tablecloth or large sheet of paper to catch all the tiny scraps. Or make it a game to see who can pick up the most, the fastest.
• Turn on some festive music to set the mood!

Loved these tips to make easy paper snowflakes?

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• DIY Suminagashi Prints
• Magic Watercolor Paintings
• How to talk to your child about their art
• My Walmart Storefront with Art Supplies for every age!
• The easiest way to organize your child’s artwork

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