Create a Paper Star

Gather basic supplies of paper, scissors, stapler, and tape.

Optional supplies include a ruler, a brad, a hole punch, and a pencil.

Regular white or colored copy paper works fine, or scrapbook paper.

The stiffness of the paper affects how many sheets you will need, between 6-8 sheets per star.

Fold your square in half diagonally. Fold it in half again diagonally.

Cut several parallel lines through the paper, stopping about 1/2 inch from the folded edges.

Try cutting four lines for your first star, or more lines for a more advanced star with finer detail.

You can mark the lines evenly spaced with a ruler, or just estimate them.

Hints: BE SURE to cut from the thickest folded edge and parallel to the four open edges. The triangle should open away from you.

Open up the paper after you have completed the cutting.

Lift the first two points inside the diamond shape and overlap them, securing them with a tiny piece of tape.

Hint: Don't worry about making your tape perfectly invisible. The finished paper star looks so amazing that the small pieces of tape are barely noticeable.

Flip over your paper, so that the small tube you just taped is now face down on the table. Take the next two smallest points of the diamond shape and overlap them, securing with tape.

Continue to flip over your paper, taping the next two diamond points together, until you have completed all of the points.

You have created one point of your star. Notice how in this picture, the left side is bigger/thicker than the other. When you complete all six of your star points, you will line them up so that they all face the same way, with the bigger sides to the left.

Once you finish your first star point, make five more just like it. Note again how the points all have the larger loop to the left.  In this example, all six star points are complete and awaiting assembly. For some paper thicknesses, you may need six, seven or eight star points to complete your star.

Once your star points are lined up, use a stapler to connect them to each other. Take the outside loop from each star, line them up, and staple through the overlap where you taped. You should end up with one long line of star points.

Gather together each of the bottom points of your line of star points. Depending on the supplies you have available, you can use a hole punch and a brad to connect all of the points in the center, or you can simply use a single staple through all of the point. To complete your star, staple the last two star point edges together.

Hang your paper star and enjoy the beautiful decoration you made with basic supplies. Make more for friends or family, or even better, make more WITH friends and family.

Teach others how to make paper stars, and let them know you learned something amazing at the library. Explore more papercraft books at the library to discover new projects to try on your own.