This article was co-authored by Lois Wade. Lois Wade has 45 years of experience in crafts including sewing, crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch, drawing, and paper crafts. She has been contributing to craft articles on wikiHow since 2007.
This article has been viewed 256,205 times.
This lovely folded star is also known as "German Christmas Star", "Eight Point Star", "Ribbon Star" and likely several other names. It was originally made in Germany with paper strips, but can be made with any creasable ribbon such as wire ribbon or "gift wrap" ribbon. The star requires only three types of folds, two of which get repeated eight times. A beginner can make this beautiful project in 20 minutes or so. Are you ready?
Steps
Making the base
-
1Cut four lengths of ribbon approximately 20 inches (50 cm) long.
-
2Fold the ribbons in half and crease them at the halfway point.Advertisement
-
3Interweave the ribbon loops so that the loose ends of each ribbon pass through the loop of the next ribbon to its left.
-
4Pull the loops snugly together.
-
5Fold the top layer(s) of ribbon over each other successively so that they overlap.
-
6Tuck the final ribbon under the loop formed by the first ribbon.
-
7Snug it down.
Folding the outer points
-
1Look closely at the base. There should now be two ribbons coming out of each side. One ribbon (let's call it "A") on each side will come out under a fold of ribbon. The other ribbon (let's call it "B") will emerge out from under the side edge of a ribbon.
-
2Lift ribbon "B" and fold it at a 45 degree angle under itself and out to the left.
-
3Fold the "B" ribbon back down parallel to itself, creating yet another 45 degree angle.
-
4Fold the two angled pieces of ribbon together, making the ribbon lay over itself on the base.
-
5Bend the newly formed point away from you and hold it there temporarily.
-
6Slide the end of "B" under the edge of the ribbon "loop" on the base and snug it down gently.
-
7Repeat the above steps for all four sides of the base.
-
8Turn the base over and repeat, folding the outer points as instructed in this section.
Making the 3-D points
-
1Lay the base flat and lift one ribbon in the base, creasing it back on itself. Let's call this first ribbon "A".
-
2Lift the next ribbon counter-clockwise from the ribbon above (let's call it "B") and crease it back on itself as well. The end of this ribbon (B) will get tucked under the first (A) in a few steps.
-
3Fold the "B" ribbon out at a 45 degree angle, away from the center of the base. (Keep the original "back on itself" crease, then add the 45 degree angle to the outside.)
-
4Allow the ribbon (B) to lift up off the base.
-
5Curl the end of "B" around and tuck it under the "A", sliding the point through the base and out through the center of one of the flat points. Snug gently.
-
6Repeat for all four ribbons on this side.
-
7Stop at this point for a gift bow. Continue for an ornament.
Ornament Star
-
1Turn the base over.
-
2Make the 3-D points, as outlined in the previous section, for all four ribbons on the second side.
-
3Trim the ends of each ribbon close to the flat points.
-
4Slide florist wire through one of the flat points OR punch a small hole to allow hanging.
-
5Display proudly.
-
6Finished.
Community Q&A
-
QuestionHow long does it take to make these?Robin CatCommunity AnswerIt depends on your experience level, but it usually takes between 10-30 minutes to make one.
-
QuestionWhat is the best place to purchase paper?Community AnswerOffice supply stores such as Office Depot and Staples are the best places to purchase paper.
Warnings
- Remember to take proper precautions when using scissors.⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You'll Need
- Gift ribbon or any ribbon or paper strip that is easily crease-able. Half inch or wider is best for the first time making these.
- Scissors
- Ornament hanger or florist wire.