Love the beauty of paper crafts and want to give it a try? This beautiful twisted paper star is an easy tutorial that will compliment your decor.
Have you ever found yourself in need of a big star?
Now, I’m not talking about a Hollywood hero or some TV celebrity. No. I’m talking a home decoration type star.
This year I found myself in need of just that. A big star that I could hang above my mantel. I wanted it to mirror the stars on my Silent Night Printables that I had made for Christmas. And since I didn’t want to spend money on it, I decided to make my own.
The best part about these stars: they are easy to make! If you have ever wanted to get into paper crafting, this is a perfect craft to start with.
What you will need:
- Paper squares (To get the elongated star look I used: 2= 7″x7″ squares, 4 = 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ squares, and 2 = 4″x4″ squares)
- Scissors
- Stapler
- Clear Tape or glue
Steps to Make a Twisted Paper Star
Step 1: Fold the Square into a Triangle
Grab two opposite points on the square and fold the square in half, from one point to another point, creating a triangle.
Now fold your newly created triangle in half, creating an even smaller triangle. Smooth down the crease and make sure the edges match up. If the open edge of the triangle is uneven, trim off any excess paper. Don’t trim the folded edges!
Step 2: Cut Slits into the Triangle
Figure out which end of the triangle is the open end and which sides have the folded edges.
The open edge should be the longest edge on your triangle. Cut 1/2″ strips along that open edge, starting the cut from the edge of the triangle that cannot unfold in any way.
Cut 3 or more strips (depending on the size of your paper square) to within a 1/4″ of the opposite edge of the triangle, making sure you do not cut all of the way through.
Step 3: Create the Twist
Open up the triangle. Your square should now have triangular slits cut in it with a solid middle like the picture below.
It’s time to start making your twisted paper star.
Start with the center. Take the two points of the center “triangle slits” and wrap them towards each other. Tape or glue the tips together. (If it helps, you can wrap them over a pencil or marker to keep them strong and solid.)
Now, flip the square over and tape the two tips of the second “triangle slit” together.
Repeat until all of the triangle slits are taped together.
Flip, fold, tape….. Flip, fold, tape….. Say it with me…. Flip, fold, tape…..
Ok. I guess you get the picture.
Follow steps 1-3 for the other 7 squares.
Step 4: Create Your Star
Now that you have all 8 star segments twisted, it’s time to assemble them.
Take the two longest star twists (if you are using my measurements, these are the 7×7 inch squares) and staple them together on the ends. You should now have a really long and straight paper twist that will be the center of your star.
Now, grab the middle sized twists (the 5 1/2″ squares) and fold the one end in half. (There should already be a fold line there from your previous folding and cutting) Just fold the very end where you are going to staple it to your star! Take that folded edge and staple it in the center of your star. Add a 5 1/2″ twist on either side of the long twist you created on both the top and the bottom.
You should now have 6 points on your star, 3 on the bottom, 3 on the top.
The final step is to add the short points in the center side of your star.
Staple the shortest star twist (the 4×4) in between your two groups of three twists. This should be right in the middle of your star.
So, as a recap, your twists should be stapled from top to bottom like this: Long, medium, short, medium, long, medium, short, medium.
Using the three different sized twists gave my stars the more elongated look I was going for.
Alternate Ideas: You can make all of your twists the same size and create twisted paper “snowflakes”. Or you can experiment with color combinations (ex. red, white, and blue for the 4th of July) or materials (cardstock, fabric, etc.)
Decorate with Your Twisted Paper Star
And here is the final twisted paper star.
You can check out my Silent Night Christmas Mantel display here.
