Make This:

Paper Stars – Part 1

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Stars are a great decoration for so many holidays and events – birthdays, New Year’s Eve, school dances, the 4th of July, prom, Christmas, star parties, etc. These are made to be as large as I could fit on a standard sheet of printer paper – they’re between 8 and 12 inches across when they’re finished. They’re light weight and can be made in any color palette for your occasion. Hang them from the ceiling or use them as center pieces. I chopped up my scrap paper to make matching confetti.

Supplies and Equipment:

– paper – high quality paper give crisper folds than a cardstock
– straight edge
– exacto or utility knife and cutting friendly surface
– bone folder (optional)
– paper friendly glue – acid free if you’re making keepers
– scissors
– crumpled tissue paper or other lightweight filler (optional)
– string or other hanging material if you’re planning to hang them

 

Print out the pattern(s) for the stars you want. If it matters to your paper, print the pattern on the back of the paper – all the printed lines will be on the inside of the star.

 

Two versions of every star are available – one in “easy to see” black lines, the other in “less likely to bleed through” gray lines. Use whatever works best for your application.

Score all the fold lines. Do this with a bone folder or by very lightly going over the lines with the back (NOT SHARP) side of the knife you are using.

You can see the light score lines in this picture.

 

Cut the pieces out using a straight edge and knife as well.

 

Keep the pieces labeled “A” together, and the pieces labeled “B”, etc.

Crease all of the dotted lines according to this key.

Trim any tabs that are at sharp points.

This way they won’t show on the sides when you glue up the star.

Glue the seams at the center of the star first. Glue the parts labeled “A” to “A” and glue “B” to “B.”

Then work your way around the edges. It’s easiest if you glue a section, then let it dry, then glue the next section.

 

Be sure to glue in any strings or hanging tabs while you’re doing this.

 

Also add any light stuffing before it’s glued closed, if you want to. The stuffing prevents the stars from being crushed if they’re in a place where they might be bumped or if you’re packing them away to use again in the future. This is a good way to reuse gift packaging materials.

4 Pointed Star
Printable Pattern – Black Line Version
Printable Pattern – Gray Line Version

4 Pointed Star #2
Printable Pattern – Black Line Version
Printable Pattern – Gray Line Version

5 Pointed Star
Printable Pattern – Black Line Version
Printable Pattern – Gray Line Version

 

Want more star patterns? Click here for 6, 7 and 8 pointed stars!