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Six-Sided Snowflakes (Posted on 2005-05-16) Difficulty: 3 of 5
Mrs. Hanford's 4th grade class is making snowflakes. They do so by folding 8.5 by 11 inch pieces of paper and cutting to make an 8.5 by 8.5 square.
After folding it in half twice more, each student cuts shapes out of the sides and unfolds it to see what their snowflake looks like.
Unfortunately, as one student pointed out, real snowflakes are six-sided, not four-sided.

Is there a way to fold a piece of 8.5 by 11 inch (or you can use cm if you want) to make a six-sided snowflake?
If there is, the simpler the better. After all, it is a 4th grade class.
You only have a pair of scissors and your folding ability at your disposal.

  Submitted by Dustin    
Rating: 2.3333 (3 votes)
Solution: (Hide)
Yes, there is.

Orient the paper so it is landscape-like. Fold the left half to the right. Now fold the top half onto the bottom half. You now have a rectangle similar to the original.

Fold the top onto the bottom, and make a crease mark, but then unfold it.

At this point, make sure the top edge is one big crease, and that the left edge is two smaller creases.

Make a fold so that the bottom left corner goes up and is exactly on the crease in the middle. In doing this, make sure the crease meets the top left corner.

Turn the snowflake-to-be over. Orient it so it is a trapezoid with right angles on the right. Fold so that the bottom edge corresponds with the slanty left edge.

Turn it back over. It should look something like the shape of a carrot. From the tip of the carrot shape, go up until you see a line. Cut along this line.

If you unfold, you will have a hexagon.

Comments: ( You must be logged in to post comments.)
  Subject Author Date
Solutionan easier way (perhaps)Josh706792005-07-23 00:05:10
SolutionMy solutionJustin2005-05-22 03:25:38
Some Thoughtsre: Stupid answerJustin2005-05-22 03:16:47
Nitpickery!Charley2005-05-20 20:29:54
Stupid answerRex2005-05-19 14:07:15
SolutionMy method for 6-sided flakes...Erik O.2005-05-16 19:31:47
I just invented a variation I've never seen beforeJer2005-05-16 19:06:39
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