How to Make 3D Folded Paper Christmas Star Ornaments

Want a special DIY ornament idea for your tree? Make these easy DIY folded paper Christmas star ornaments for your holiday decor.

Create beautiful paper star ornaments with this easy step-by-step tutorial that will help you create beautiful shimmery dimensional ornaments for your Christmas tree.

King of Christmas Queen flock tree with glittered star ornaments.

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There’s just something special about Christmas that makes me want to create. Nothing is better than personal touches scattered around your home throughout the holidays this time of year.

Maybe it’s just the sentimental part of me; maybe I’m just picky and like to create exactly what I want; or maybe somewhere deep inside there’s the hope that my children will appreciate some handcrafted items created by their mom. Whatever the reason, I just love to create, and it’s fun to create ornaments for our tree.

This year’s tree has been quite a transitional process for me. I started with a predominantly burgundy and copper color them that has evolved over the last couple of weeks. After a lot of tweaking, I’m really loving it now with all the touches of blue and deep cranberry mixed with lots of shimmery neutrals. I finished it off with some of my favorite blue plaid Christmas ribbon.

I’ve been enamored with this DIY folded glitter star tree topper shared by Kristen at Ella Claire & Co. for quite a while. I wanted to add a few more shimmery neutral touches to our tree, so I decided to use Kristen’s printable star template to create something special for our own tree. Plus, I kind of wanted to play with glitter, particularly glass glitter!

You can find the star tree topper template that I used to create these stars here. It’s an easy template to print out and you can see how Kristen used the template to create a gorgeous tree topper for her tree.

Since I purchased a new gold star tree topper for our tree this year from Target I didn’t need a tree topper, so I decided to make glittered Christmas star ornaments instead. I love the three-dimensional aspect of this star design, but want various sizes of the star ornaments for our tree.

How to Make DIY Folded Christmas Stars

Using Kristen’s star template made creating these paper star decorations a much easier process!

You’ll need the following supplies to create these origami paper stars.

Supplies

8 1/2 X 11 White card stock
Star template found here
Printer
Pair of scissors
Gold acrylic paint
Paintbrushes
Mod Podge
Glass Glitter
Sewing Needle
Ornament hooks
Alternative method: 12 x 12 “Champagne” Glitter scrapbook paper, printer paper, ruler

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Print your first star on a couple of sheets of white cardstock, using a printable template. Cut out this larger template and tape the halves together.

2. Using this large star, you can resize it on your printer to create stars in various sizes for your tree.

Crease the stars along the folds to create dimension.

3. Cut out your stars and fold along the lines to create a 3D effect. Fold down the middle line of the arms of the star. After all the downward folds are made make the inner folds for the creases between the arms.

4. Paint the stars with a subtle champagne gold acrylic paint for a metallic finish.

Use Mod Podge to adhere the glitter to the paper star.

5. After the paint dries, apply Mod Podge and sprinkle with gold and silver glass glitter for a vintage look. I purchased both gold and silver glass glitter and mixed it together before sprinkling on the star. You should sprinkle this over a paper plate to catch the excess to reuse.

6. Enhance the shading with black paint along the inner creases for added dimension and shadow effects.

Paint the creases of the 3D stars for added dimension and shading.

7. Finish by attaching a hook for easy placement on the tree. I used a small sewing needle to poke a small hole in the star for the ornament hook to fit through.

Glittered folded paper Christmas Star Ornaments

A Simple Glitter-Free Alternative Paper Star

For those who prefer a less messy option, I discovered a glitter-covered scrapbook paper at Michael’s. It’s easy to fold, doesn’t break along the creases, and creates a similar, elegant look without the need for paint or glass glitter.

Use glittered scrapbook paper to create your stars as an alternative to the glue and glitter method.

Create your star shape on printer paper or cardstock using the the template. Cut out this design and then trace onto the back of the glitter-covered scrapbook paper.

Trace the star pattern onto the back of the glitter paper.

Fold along the lines as described above.

Use a ruler to draw the fold lines. Cut the star pattern out of the glitter paper, and then fold according to the directions above.

I was a little concerned that the paper might tear at the folds, but it did not. The star is a great mess-free alternative to the glass glitter technique. I do, however, love the texture and vintage look that the mixed gold and silver glass glitter provides on each paper ornament.

Versatile Uses for Paper Star Ornaments:

These DIY stars are such versatile Christmas decorations. Don’t just stop at using them as Christmas tree ornaments. You can create a large tree topper like Kristen’s original intent using one of the larger stars, add them to gift packages, make a star garland, or even use several of the smaller stars to create a star wreath for your door. The possibilities are endless, and I encourage you to explore these ideas and enjoy the process of creating.

King of Christmas Queen flock tree with blue and red color scheme and glittered star ornaments.

I absolutely love the look of these ornaments on our King of Christmas Queen Flocked tree! The joy of creating these ornaments has added a special touch to our holiday decor. Whether you opt for the glittery stars or the scrapbook paper version, these ornaments are sure to add a unique and personal charm to your Christmas tree.

May your holiday season be filled with joy and creativity!

Happy Creating!