In today’s post: Learn how to fold an origami star – it only takes five simple steps.
Origami is basically magic, right? Taking a flat piece of paper and turning it into something else entirely is pretty cool! But it can also be intimidating, and I rarely have the patience to work through long instructions. That’s why I like simple origami projects that I can master quickly, like these origami stars. They only take 5 steps to make and the finished stars make great Christmas decorations!
For more easy origami tutorials, click here.
The little paper stars look great on your Christmas tree, and are also really nice strung up as a garland. Depending on the paper you make them out of, these would be pretty cool for the Fourth of July as well!
I have a instructional video for you today that walks you through each of the five steps to folding a paper star. Your first star might take you about 15 minutes to make, but once you get the folding process down you can easily complete one in five minutes.
Origami Star Supplies
You really only need one supply to make an origami star: a piece of paper. Normal copy weight paper (or just slightly heavier printed scrapbook paper) works very well. Cardstock will not work because it’s just too heavy and stiff to perform well with all the folding. I tried making stars out of lots of different patterned papers and I found that I preferred the ones that have a fairly uniform background (like the sheet music paper in the first photo of the post).
Before you can begin folding your star, you need to cut your paper into a perfect pentagon. To make it easy to get a pentagon shape, I’ve created two printable templates for you. You can print the templates, cut them out, and trace them on the back of the paper you’ll fold into a star. Printing the templates onto cardstock is a good idea so your tempates will be sturdy and reusable. Click below to download the templates, and print them at 100% or full size.
Click here to download the small/medium template
Click here to download the large template
The small + medium template prints onto one sheet of 8.5×11 paper. For the large template, you’ll need to print 2 copies and tape them together as you can see below:
If you’d like to turn your folded stars into ornaments, you will also need a hole punch and twine. A small hole made with a small hole punch (like this one from Amazon) looks better on the stars than a standard size hole punch, but either would work. Alternately, you can use a needle and thread to make a loop without leaving a visible hole at all. The stars are so lightweight that they can easily be hung with thread.
If you’d like to turn your stars into a garland, I’d recommend using a needle and thread to string them together. Or you could punch small holes and string the stars along a strand of fairy lights, like these battery operated lights from Amazon. Just be aware that battery operated fairy lights usually only last 3-4 days if the lights are left on all the time, so you could also consider this longer strand that plugs in.
Origami Star Instructions
I’ve created a step by step video that shows you exactly how to fold an origami star. Watching the video is the easiest way to learn how to fold a star as it explains each step in detail. However, if you don’t want to take the time to watch it, you’ll find written instructions and photos after the video.
Origami Star
Ingredients
- 1 sheet Paper (not cardstock)
- Star Template
Instructions
- Choose which size pentagon template you'd like to use based on how big you want your final star. Trace the pentagon template onto the back of your paper and cut along the lines. Place the pentagon on the table in front of your, printed side down.
- Fold #1: With one point of the pentagon pointing away from you and a flat side toward you, fold the pentagon in half right to left and crease. Open it back up and rotate so the next point is facing up. Repeat the fold and open it back up. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 5 folds.
- Fold #2: With one point of the pentagon pointing away from you, fold the bottom flat side upward. Match the bottom two corners of the pentagon with the fold lines that extend to the side corners. Crease. Open it back up and rotate to the next corner. Repeat the fold until you've done it 5 total times.
- Fold #3: With one point of the pentagon pointing away from you, lift the lower left side of the pentagon along the crease from fold #2. Also lift the bottom of the pentagon along the crease from fold #2. This will cause some of the paper to stick up; fold it down to the left and crease. Open the pentagon back up and rotate it to the next corner, repeating the fold for a total of 5 times. (This step is easier to see on the video.)
- Fold #4: Bring each of the straight edges of the pentagon toward the middle, allowing each of the points to fold as the pentagon closes into a star shape with a small pentagon in the middle.
- Fold #5: Flip the star over to the other side. You will see points along the outside and a pentagon shape in the middle. Fold one corner of the pentagon in to the middle, creasing the fold all the way out to the point to create a sharp star point. Rotate and repeat. When you get to the 5th fold, you will have to slightly open the 1st fold to complete it.
- Press down along each final fold. If you'd like to make your star an ornament, punch a small hole near the top of one point and thread twine through it, then tie in a loop.
Bettie Maggret Nix says
You have such fun ideas. Thank you!
Marcey says
There is no link to a video…
Tasha says
I literally went through FOUR browsers before I found one that showed a playable browser — try Microsoft Edge (I feel dirty even suggesting it).
Susan says
Such good instructions! Your video goes at a good pace and can be paused when needed, and it is good to have step by step visual instructions too, not to mention the templates. I was trying to watch an origami video yesterday which lasted for only 16 seconds and was difficult to pause, and in which not all the steps were clear, so your video was especially welcome – thank you!
Donna H says
I watched the video a couple of nights ago but can’t find it today. I was hoping to make some this weekend. So pretty especially using sheet music.
Pam says
I want to use the exact paper you used for the stars. The Sheet music, checked & car print. That way I know I am using the correct thickness. Is there a link for that? Love this idea!
Emmeline says
I feel all your ideas are absolutely amazing!!!
I made a dozen of small ones to string onto the tree as a hanging, and a big one for the top using shiny paper
The result was perfect!
Thanks you sooo much!