Lucky paper stars make an excellent aesthetic and hobby. Many people are scared away from them because they appear so delicate and complicated, but you don’t need to be an origami master to fold these stars! Make enough to fill a jar as a gift or decoration, or simply fold a few to make some wishes. Whatever you do with them, these little stars are fun and addicting.

Materials:

-Paper (origami paper, printer paper, scrapbook paper, special foil paper… You can purchase strips of paper specifically for this craft, but that can be expensive.)

-Scissors

-A jar, box, or other container (optional)

Instructions:

Using a ruler, make straight lines on the wrong side of your paper (if you printed a design or you are using scrapbook paper.) These will act as guidelines when you cut your paper into strips. A small strip will result in a smaller star, and a thick strip will make a bigger star. If you cut a thick strip of paper, make sure that it is long enough; otherwise, the star won’t turn out right. It doesn’t matter if the strips are all the same or different sizes, but some people will prefer small stars, big stars, or a mix of both! Make sure that your lines are STRAIGHT. Your star will fold better if you make your lines/cuts as straight as possible!

Cut the paper into strips.

Once you have your paper strips ready, you can begin folding your star. Begin by folding one end of the strip over the other, making a loop. Then, tie the paper into a “knot,” preferably close to the end of the strip.

Gently pull the “knot” tight and fold the paper down. It’s okay if you do not immediately get the “knot” perfect when you fold, just adjust the paper until it is snug.

Your paper should look like this when the knot has been pulled and folded. There will be a small tag leftover from the knot, which you can just fold over the edge.

(This is what the fold looks like from the back.)

Now, take the long part of the strip and start folding it over the edge of the knot. Just continue folding it over the edge, making sure that it is becoming tightly wrapped, but not crinkling the paper.

(Keep folding the paper over the edge, turn your knot over and continue folding the strip of paper around.)

Once you get to the end of your strip, tuck it into the little pocket on the knot.

Now, you’re ready to make your knot into a star!! Take the little pentagon shape into your fingers, and gently squeeze on the sides. Try to place your nails/fingertips right into the center of the sides when you squeeze, because it will make the star look more even. You don’t need to squish them all at once, and you can even go one or two sides at a time. This will make your star pop into shape and become three-dimensional.

Continue to pinch your star in this manner until it holds the right shape. You can pinch the points or leave them soft, depending on your preference. Now you have a star!

Ideas:

-Fill up a clear jar or vase

-Using a sharp needle, string them on a garland

-Give a jar or box of them to a friend

Paper Resources:

You can print your own star patterns by either printing a plain design, or finding special “paper star printouts” on the internet. You can also find templates for cutting strips, so you can layer lines on top of a design in an image editing program. Strips of paper made specifically for these stars can be ordered on the internet and bought in some stores.