How to make lucky paper stars

Make 3d paper stars from stripes of paper!
**Warning: Making paper stars is addictive**

I've always wanted to know how to make these, but couldn't understand how until a friend of mine showed me, that's why I made a video (see step 5) to clearly and simply illustrate the process.

The first three steps are about how to obtain paper stripes, the fourth and the fifth are about how to make the stars.

Step 1: Obtaining paper stripes: buying

You can buy ready-made paper stripes, they come in lots of colors and patterns, just type "lucky star origami paper" in google and you'll find a few online stores.

If you're just learning how to make these I would recommend you start with paper stripes that were made using step 2, which are the easiest stripes to fold.

Comments

[NAiMA79]

i held my 33rd birthday dinner party in a nifty location on the hills over here and the party theme was stars. i looked after an easy but impressive table decoration and i went for your instructable - i had plenty of blue stars all over the table and the guests were so impressed! i mean, it took me like a whole afternoon but boy was it worth it! thank you!!!

[maker777]

There was this craze at school for these, I joined in! I just love these stars. So pretty, easy to make, and even easy to mess up!

[themoose64]

i did it! nice instructable

[Hack42Moem]

I understand it just fine. No worries.

[Dusk Shadows]

Cool!

[infob]

Done. Lots of them. Thanks.

[the dashing hero]

i cant "squish" the pentagon or it will cripple in to a mess

[CindyJean]

fold it tighter

[klulinski]

im soo confused i think i got it but idk i got lost at the wraping part

[weaponscollector94]

i tried like 8 times, is there any special kinda paper you use or is it just normal printer paper?

[Jent13]

I normally use printer paper and you I got a pack of colored printer paper then print out the dashes on it and it makes them look cooler and cheerier especially if you do more than one color.

[xPuffie]

Can you do this with regular paper not just origami (sorry if i misspelled it) paper?

[Mauigerbil]

You spelled it right!

[xilefakamot]

I've always used regular paper and they've come out fine. But I haven't ever used origami (yes you spelled it right) paper so I wouldn't know if it's any easier.

[Libertina]

gah!! they are dead funky, been "ooh" and "aah"-ing over them on 4chan..this summer i will learn..i will... does anyone else find it tricky to get the star-shape whilst folding, does this get easier?

[yourface101]

no, i dont find it to be very tricky. (exept for when im trying to push in the edges to make it puffed, and it leaves a big dent in it.)

[yourface101]

oh yeah, when folding the strip over its self, you fold it a bit loosely, just to make it a tad easier to "puff" the star. hope that helped a bit. :)

[rociel_addi]

yeah this method is nice, because i always had trouble tucking in hte tail at the beginning all the while leaving the not puffed and wrapping the strip around the begining buble, this seems to be a much easyer method :) and good job with the vid :)

[suayres]

With the video, it's clear as can be--even answers my ? About what to do with the tail end!

[help_us_lisa]

hey a friend taught me how to make these... maybe i can explain it better?
you basicaly make a sort of knot in the end of the paper (step 1-3) by looping the end of the strip around and tucking it under itself then flatten it so it makes a pentagon. Then you just wrap the paper around the pentagon flattening it every time you wrap until you have no more. Then squish in the sides so it looks like a star instead of a pentagon. Hope that helps!! It's REALLY simple I know as soon as you get it you'll have an AHHAAA!!! moment ;) good luck

[H3ctorily]

well no offence but what sthe point of making 3-D stars if ur flattening them duhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Think!!!

[help_us_lisa]

....because the you squish the ends to make it pouffy.... read to the end before you comment. DUH.

[dspaulding1]

I'v known how to make these and i counted how many i have yesterday and i have 1,294 and i was like wow...

[Kamal KAur]

i like it..........

[username252]

Basically, after step 4 (which is the knot-like fold) you keep folding around the knot while making a pentegon shape. Although I I never made this (but might try soon) the pic can be self explanatory if you think a little.


HOPE THIS HELPS!!!

[sashadistan]

Out of focus video makes this hard. We got in the end though. cool and pretty, just in time for Christmas.

[aramanthe]

I think I finally got it... I work in a call center and have a lot of downtime, so I have the chance to make a lot of these. I've got a cleaned out pickle jar that I'm keeping them in :)

[bluebubble18]

hahaha

[bluebubble18]

i'm confused , XD

[bluebubble18]

wew.. XD

[victorrivas19]

can you make a video

[jdcoolguy]

definately confusing

[victorrivas19]

this is

[vikolord]

totally agree!

[Miscelinious]

:D i finally understand this now. I picked up a packet of the special paper when i was in Los Angeles in Little Tokyo. On the back of the pack, the pictures describe the strip being tucked into the pentagon continuously, like the way this instructable describes it being wrapped around.... But this method is definitely easier. (: Thank you~

[TheFlyingGerbil]

I make them out of the strips you get off the side of the continuous paper used in the dot matrix printers at work - they make me smile whenever I look at them which is no small achievement at work!

[instruct0r]

do we push them in, or do we pinch the edges?

[Azayles]

Using a pinching motion to push the edges in :P

[dr15]

Isn't pushing the edges and pinching them the same thing?

[hannahheartsyou]

kinda no cause pushing the edges makes it look funky