Today's Christmas craft is an ornament for people who love origami, but who suck at origami. (Like me.) This is the probably the easiest little paper folding craft ever. It literally takes five minutes to put together, but it looks so cool that you could tell long-winded stories about how awesome you are for figuring out how to create this little puzzle.
I chose to make my ornament out of scrap wrapping paper, in the spirit of the season. You can use any kind of paper you like. Heavier papers stay folded together better, whereas wrapping paper "slides" around a little more. If you're worried about the ornament falling apart you can add a little glue or tape to keep it together. (But that's like an origami faux pas, right?)
{origami ornament}
Supplies:
Scraps of wrapping paper, origami paper, or any kind of patterned, decorative paper
Needle
Embroidery thread
Glue or tape (optional)
First you'll need to cut some scraps of paper into rectangles, with the width half the size of the length. I chose to make my paper scraps 2" x 4" big.
Fold your first piece of paper in half length-wise.
Fold it in half again, this time width-wise.
Unfold that last step and turn your paper so that the folded edge is facing down and the open edge is facing up.
Now create little triangles on either end by folding the edges down at 45 degree angles to run parallel with the bottom fold of the paper.
Fold your paper back in half, triangles still folded in.
Do this same series of folds to eight more pieces of 2"x4" paper scraps.
To put them together, start with one of your folded pieces, the open edge facing up and the folded edge facing down. Take a second folded piece of paper and carefully fit the triangle edges into the little "pockets" created at the top of your first piece of paper.
Take a third piece and carefully tuck it into the pockets of your second piece.
And so on...
When you get to your last piece, tuck the piece of paper you started with into its pockets so that the pieces form a complete circle.
Adjust the size, tighten the gaps, and use a little glue if you need to. (I won't tell.)
Use a needle and embroidery thread to put a hole through one of the tips to hang the ornament.
Hang and enjoy!
I don't have a Christmas tree set up in our house, yet, so here's my ornament on our fake tree: Fetching, right? :)