Tiny origami paper stars. Who wouldn't want a jar of these? Really this project has no use other than decoration but they're tiny stars, cute and absolutely addicting to make.

Step 1: Supplies

Gather from around your house:

2-3 sheets of coordinated colored paper (1 sheet in each color, a thinner paper like printer paper works best)
Scissors
A piece of fabric, at least 6in.x6in.
Ruler and pencil
A small jar like a jelly jar
A jar ring or lid that fits the jar

Step 2: Lots and Lots of Paper Strips...

The first step is to cut the strips of paper you will use to make the stars.

Turn your sheets of paper into the landscape position. Using the ruler mark off every 1cm on top and bottom of each piece of paper. Draw a line connecting the 2 marks all the way across the page. The page should end up divided into 1cm sections. Cut on the lines to make about 27 1cm strips per sheet.

Step 3: Tie, Fold, Wrap, Tuck, Pinch

For the sake of this demonstration, I will be making a mega-star to ensure the steps are easy to see. Hopefully the steps will be clear from the pictures.

Here we go now, the actual star making.

Step 4: Tie and Fold

Take a strip of paper, lay it on the front of your pointer finger. Wrap it around the back of you finger, then cross the end over first part of the strip. (Figure 1) Leave a longish end.

Now slide the loop of your finger and put the end of the strip through it. It's rather like you're tying a knot in the paper. Slowly pull the longer portion of the paper as if you were tightening the knot. Do it slowly to keep the paper from tearing. (Figure 2)

Keep adjusting the knot until you get a flat pentagon with the strip coming out the bottom and a little tail at the top. All the corners should be tight and pointed. (Figure 3)

Next, fold that short tail at the top behind. You should end up with a pentagon with a long strip coming out of it. (Figure 4)

Step 5: Wrap

Pay attention to this part if you want your stars to be nice and puffy.

Hold the folded part in one hand and take the tail with the other. Notice in the picture the red line. Fold the tail on that red line to meet the opposite SIDE not point. This will be the side you just folded the short tail over. (Figure 5)

Flip it over and again fold on the red line in the picture. You basically just follow the contour of the sides as you wrap. You should always have a pentagon. (Figure 6-8)

Repeat these steps, wrap, flip, wrap, flip... until you run out of strip. (Figure 9-11)

Step 6: Tuck

Keep wrapping until you don't have enough strip to go around again. Turn it to look straight on at the side of the pentagon you would wrap around. (Figure 12) Notice there is a little slit, tuck the end into this gap until the side is smooth again. You should have now a flat pentagon with no ends sticking out.(Figure 13-15)

Look Like a star yet? There's one more step.

Step 7: Pinch

Hold the pentagon by the sides between thumb and pointer. It is important now not to touch the middle or this step will not work. If you notice a depression in the middle, this step might not work and you will have to wrap a new star.

Grasp the point opposite your fingers in the thumb and pointer of your other hand and pinch together. (Figure 16) If all goes right, you should have the point of a star. (Figure 17)

Rotate the star in you fingers to the next point and pinch again. repeat until all the points are formed and you have your star. (Figure 18-20)

If your star doesn't turn out quite right, don't worry, it can take a couple stars to figure it out. Keep trying and you'll soon be hooked!

Step 8: Circles

Back to the jar.

Lay your piece of fabric out on a flat surface, wrong side up. Draw a circle with a 3.5in. diameter. The easiest way to do this is to find a jar or glass of the same dimensions and trace it. Then cut the circle out.

Step 9: Top It Off

Fill your jar with stars. When it is full, center your cloth circle over the mouth of the jar. Press the jar ring down over the cloth to pull it tight. Screw it shut. Set your jar in a prominent place to be admired by all who enter your home. Or give it as a gift (they make excellent gifts). And of course make more. :)