3D paper star: a Christmas craft for 8-year-olds

Age: 7+ · Time: 30 min · For: Ages 6–9 Ages 10–12

A 3D paper star looks impressive hanging in a window or on the tree, but it is made from two squares of paper with just a few folds, cuts and dabs of glue. Children of 7 or 8 can usually make one independently after the first try.

Tips

Crisp creases give sharp points.
Use patterned paper: old maps, sheet music or book pages look beautiful.
Staples are quicker than glue for older children.

Ideas

A star garland: make five small stars and string them on a ribbon.
A tree topper: a big golden star with a hole in the back for the top branch.

You need

2 square sheets of paper of 6 x 6 inches (printer paper, colored paper or an old calendar page)
scissors
a glue stick or white school glue
a pencil and a ruler
a thread or ribbon for hanging
a stapler (optional)

Steps

Fold one square in half diagonally both ways and in half straight across both ways. Unfold. You now have eight creases meeting in the center.
Make the cuts: on each of the four straight creases (not the diagonal ones), cut from the edge towards the center, stopping about a third of the way from the middle.
You now have eight flaps, two at each corner. Put glue on one flap at a corner and overlap it with its neighbor to make a point. Hold until it sticks.
Repeat at all four corners. The square rises into a four-pointed star with a raised center.
Make a second star the same way from the other square.
Glue the two stars back to back, with the points turned so the second star's points sit between the first one's, so you get eight points.
Glue or tie a thread to one point for hanging.