Make a Christmas Card Star

Each Christmas, it seems we receive more and more beautiful greeting cards. We often place them on the mantelpiece to enjoy them. But when the holiday is over, we take down the tree, clean up the clutter, and look wistfully at the lovely cards as we remove them one by one. Here is a beautiful project you can complete using some of those cards; you can even use this card star to top your tree next year!

Steps

 * 1) [[Image:Starpoint_599.jpg|200px|right]] Print out this pattern.
 * 2) [[Image:Christmas card star 02_560.jpg|200px|right]]Copy the pattern onto the interior of your cards (so that the cover design is on the other side) by cutting it out and tracing it. Then draw in the fold lines with a ruler. See the Tips for how to score the fold lines.
 * 3)  [[Image:Christmas card star 03_284.jpg|200px|right]]Cut the pattern out and start folding! This would be a great time put on some music and invite the family to help. To make this Christmas star, you'll need to cut 20 cards.
 * 4) [[Image:Christmas card star 06_386.jpg|200px|right]] Close the triangles. Use your favorite glue along each of the long flaps to seal the point of each star.
 * 5) [[Image:Starbody_622.jpg|200px|right]]Print out this pattern. Use heavy card stock or  print your pattern onto  regular paper and then paste the pattern onto a cereal box or other light cardboard. This will be the body of the star.
 * 6) [[Image:Christmas card star 04_474.jpg|200px|right]] Cut, score and once again fold along all the lines.
 * 7) [[Image:Christmas card star 05_722.jpg|200px|right]] Glue together carefully.
 * 8) [[Image:Christmas card star 07_13.jpg|200px|right]]Glue the points onto the star until it's done! Give it time to dry and you'll have a beautiful decoration made out of recycled Christmas cards.

Tips

 * Score each card along the fold lines to make it easier to fold. To score, just run one edge of a pair of scissors along the fold line using a ruler. You can use a pizza cutter instead if you have one handy.  Be careful not to press too hard so that  you do not cut through the paper. You can also press hard with a ball point pen.
 * This is not a quick craft. Forewarned.
 * Carefully wrap the star in tissue paper and place into a  marked box for next year.
 * This can also make a nice activity for a New Year's Eve celebrated at home.
 * Wrapping paper also works well.
 * It is VERY important to be sure that the triangles of the base and the triangles formed by the cardstock are the SAME size before attempting to assemble this.
 * This project doesn't necessarily require Christmas cards. Any decorative, heavyweight paper will work. (IE: For a Coca Cola themed tree, use Coca Cola soda boxes.)
 * I recommend cardstock. Cardboard (even cereal boxes) is too difficult to fold in so many intricate places.
 * Glue tape (the kind in dispenser used for scrapbooking) works great for closing the triangle points
 * I HIGHLY recommend glue gun/sticks for gluing the core together and for gluing the points on the core. I tried three glues and this is the quickest and holds the best.
 * When folding up the points, it is very important to make sure the tip is really a tip (not open). If you have to fudge a little on your marked folding lines to make it happen, then go ahead.
 * When folding the points, also make sure there are no gaps between the triple bottom (teenie) folds and the long triangle edges. That would leave gaps in edges of your ornament later.  Again, if you have to fudge on the marked lines to fold it thusly, then go ahead.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Make a 3D Paper Snowflake
 * How to Make a Christmas Tree Pop up Card
 * How to Make a Poinsettia Pop up Card
 * How to Make Ornamental Pine Cones for Christmas
 * How to Make an Angel Pop up Card
 * How to String Popcorn on a Christmas Tree
 * How to Create a Festive Holiday Wreath
 * How to Make Your Own Christmas Gifts
 * How to Care for a Christmas Cactus
 * How to Have a Happy Holiday Season
 * How to Have a Christmas Party
 * How to Have a Green Christmas
 * How to Plant a Living Christmas Tree
 * How to Care for a Living Christmas Tree

Sources and Citations

 * Jenny Harada's website. Original source of this article. Shared with permission.