DIY Origami Star Garland: A Festive and Affordable Decoration Project

The holiday season is a time for joy, celebration, and, of course, decorating! What better way to infuse your home with festive cheer than by creating your own beautiful and inexpensive decorations? This tutorial will guide you through the process of making a stunning origami star garland that is both easy to create and customizable to your personal style.

Imagine the delight of crafting a unique garland using simple paper and basic craft supplies. By the end of this guide, you’ll master two distinct origami star folding techniques, allowing you to create a garland that perfectly complements your existing decor. Let’s dive in and discover the magic of paper folding!

Creating your own holiday decorations is a rewarding experience. It not only adds a personal touch to your home but also allows you to save money while unleashing your creativity. This origami star garland project is the perfect example of how simple materials can be transformed into something truly special.

Materials You’ll Need

Before we get started, gather the following materials:

• Paper: Wrapping paper, decorative paper (silver, gold, or any color of your choice), or even recycled paper.
• Tape: Clear tape or decorative washi tape.
• Scissors: A good pair of scissors for precise cutting.
• String: Twine, ribbon, or any string you prefer for hanging your garland.
• Ruler or Measuring Tape: To ensure accurate paper sizes.

How to Fold an Origami Star: Style One

This method creates a classic, dimensional origami star. Follow these steps carefully:

1. Prepare Your Square: Begin with a square piece of paper. A 7″ square is a good starting point for a larger star.
2. Fold in Half Diagonally: Rotate the square 45 degrees so it looks like a diamond. Fold the diamond in half, bringing one point to the opposite point. Crease well, then unfold. Ensure the patterned side faces outwards, if applicable.

3. Fold Sides to Center: Fold both the right and left sides of the diamond inward to meet the center crease you just made. Unfold them back to the diamond shape.
4. Create a Rectangle Flap: Using the bottom corner of your leftmost crease as a target, fold the bottom right half of your diamond inwards to that point, creating a straight crease. This will form a large rectangular flap.
5. Fold the Corner Down: Take the top right corner of the long rectangular flap and fold it downwards onto itself. Look for a crease already present on the rectangular flap; it will guide this fold to the proper placement.
6. Close the Left Flap: Fold the left flap of the diamond closed. Now, fold the entire paper along the middle crease. It should resemble a paper airplane (but it isn’t!).

7. Fold the Bottom Left Flap Up: Take the bottom left flap and fold it upwards so that the line underneath lines up with your main center crease.
8. Fold the Small Triangular Flap Inward: You should now see a small triangular flap hanging out on the left. Fold this piece inward.

Congratulations! You now have one point of your large origami star. To complete the star, repeat steps 1-8 until you have five identical pieces, or “folded points.”

10. Attach the Points: To attach the points to each other, take two folded points and lay them next to each other perpendicularly. You should find a flap on the inner right-side of your left folded point that opens from the bottom. Slide your right folded point under this flap and tuck the small triangular flap into it. (Refer to the images for visual guidance).
11. Repeat: Repeat this with the rest of your folded points until you complete your star.

Your star is complete!

If your paper is sturdy, you’re finished. However, if you used thin wrapping paper, or if you want your star to be 3-D, reinforce it by making a second identical star and securing them together with tape.

When attaching your star to your string for the garland, thread your string through the top opening between the front and back star and tape the top closed.

And that’s how you make your origami star! Create as many stars as you need to fill your garland. Experiment with different sizes by using different sized squares of paper. Now, let’s move on to the second type of folded paper star, which is even easier to make!

How to Fold an Origami Star: Style Two

This method is a simpler technique that creates a flatter, yet equally charming, star.

1. Prepare Your Square: Start with a square of paper. An 8.5″ square works well, especially if it’s the width of your paper. Keep your scissors handy; you’ll need them at the end.
2. Fold Lengthwise: Fold your paper lengthwise in half to create a rectangle.
3. Create Triangular Sections: Take the bottom right corner of your rectangle and fold it upwards to make an even triangular section. Crease lightly, as this crease won’t be visible at the end. Repeat with the top right corner, also creasing lightly. Unfold both folds so you’re back to your rectangular piece.

5. Fold Diagonally: Take the left section of your rectangle and fold it diagonally over to the right section, making sure the bottom left corner meets the intersection of your two triangular folds from the previous steps.
6. Fold Back Inward: Take the left corner piece that you just folded inward and fold it to the left back onto itself.
7. Fold Bottom Right Corner Inward: Take the bottom right corner and fold it inward, so that it lines up with the middle crease you just made in the last step. You’ll now have a shape somewhat resembling a triangle with the point facing down.
8. Fold in Half: Pick up the entire triangle and fold it in half along the center crease. The result is an even smaller triangle or a little ice cream cone shape.

9. Cut Diagonally: Using your scissors, cut diagonally from the top right (where the ice cream cone would meet the ice cream) to the left, about 1″ down.
10. Open and Refold: Open up the paper and refold the creases so that all of the points of the star are pointing in the same direction.

Your second star is complete! Now you know two ways to make a paper star.

Mix and match these two star styles to create a truly unique garland!

Assembling Your Origami Star Garland

To finish your garland, arrange your stars along your string and fasten them with regular tape. For hanging on a wall, use washi tape to hang your garland, as it’s prettier than regular tape and won’t strip the paint off your walls!

Endless Possibilities with Origami Stars

The beauty of these folded stars is that they’re perfect not only for hanging in a garland but also for table styling and even as unique place settings for your holiday table. With these two origami techniques under your belt, the paper star possibilities are truly endless! Consider using them as gift toppers, window decorations, or even as embellishments for wreaths.

Experiment with different paper types, colors, and sizes to create a garland that perfectly reflects your personal style and complements your existing holiday decor. You can even add glitter, beads, or other embellishments to make your stars even more festive.

So, gather your materials, unleash your creativity, and start folding! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to create a stunning origami star garland that will bring joy and festive cheer to your home.

Can you think of any other ways to use these origami stars? Share your ideas in the comments below!