About this design
Not every snow crystal is a lacy star. Plate crystals grow flat, faceted sections instead of fine branches, and that is the look behind the Crystal Plate Snowflake. Each arm swells into a broad diamond plate, then narrows to a short pair of end branches and a hexagon tip. At the center, an open hexagon ring with small cut-outs echoes the six-sided theme.
The large flat areas give this design real presence. It reads from across a room and holds color beautifully, which makes it a strong choice for signs, banners and modern decor where a lacier flake would disappear.
Project ideas
- Porch signs. Paint or vinyl a 10-inch flake onto a wood plank alongside a seasonal word.
- Pillow covers. The plates give iron-on vinyl a good grip on canvas or linen pillow covers.
- Kids’ crafts. Cut a set from colored cardstock for decorating, coloring or hanging on a classroom window.
- Layered acrylic. Laser-cut the solid from frosted acrylic and the inner layer from mirror acrylic for a sparkling ornament.
- Cake toppers. A 4-inch flake from glitter cardstock on a skewer tops a winter cake.
Color ideas
The plates are large enough to show off the two-tone effect, so try strong contrasts:
- Blue and ice blue, the default, for a classic winter palette
- Teal and white for a modern, Scandinavian feel
- Gold and cream for an elegant, warm holiday look
- Charcoal and silver to match industrial or farmhouse decor
Size and cutting tips
This design passes our cut checks from about 2 inches wide. The cut-outs in the center hexagon are small at that size, so for weeding comfort cut it at 3 inches or more when using adhesive vinyl. The plates also make this a good candidate for thicker materials such as chipboard, felt and craft foam, as long as you stay above 4 inches.
For layered cardstock, glue the inner layer on with a glue pen along the plates rather than a full spray, which keeps it flat and crisp.
Step by step: a two-tone pillow cover
- Download the color SVG and size it to 10 inches.
- Cut the base from white iron-on and the top layer from pale blue, both mirrored.
- Weed the small windows in the center hexagon first, then the outer waste.
- Press the white layer for the time your vinyl recommends, peel the carrier, then line up the blue plates on top and press again under a pressing sheet.
- Turn the cover inside out and press from the back for a final few seconds to set both layers.
Pairs well with
The Sector Star Snowflake shares the plate style with a star at its heart, and the Hexagon Frame Wreath carries the six-sided theme into a frame.
