Family Fun: How to Make Paper Window Stars

Artist Helen Hiebert shares her secret to making eye-catching kite paper window stars. Her latest book, Playing With Paper, features dozens of fun, family-friendly paper projects.

Reminiscent of kaleidoscopes and cut paper snowflakes, these stunning light catchers brighten your windows, even on overcast days.

This is a great family project—just a few simple folds and some glue. Display a grouping to ward off birds trying to fly through a crystal clear window.

MATERIALS

• kite paper or tissue paper

• scissors or craft knife

• bone folder (optional)

• cutting mat (optional)

• glue stick

• transparent tape

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cutting the paper

Fold eight 6¼ × 6¼ inch (15.9 × 15.9 cm) sheets of kite paper in half, and cut or tear along the folds to create sixteen rectangles that are approximately 6¼ × 31⁄8 inches (15.9 × 7.9 cm).

2. Fold and glue

Do the following to all 16 pieces of paper: First, fold the sheet in half lengthwise. Unfold, and then fold all four corners into the center line, creasing the folds and locking them in place with a fingernail or bone folder. Fold all four corners in again. Use a glue stick to tack down all of the folds so that each unit lies flat.

3. Assemble the Sections

Take two sections and place one on top of the other. Holding the two narrow points together, fan them apart until the overlap is approximately half an inch (1.3 cm) and glue the sections together. Continue joining section by section. Apply glue to the last section and tuck it underneath the first section to complete the circle.

Attach the star to a window with a small piece of transparent tape.

PAPER TIDBITS

Kite paper is a colored wax paper, traditionally used in European kite making. Multicolored packages of 6 ×6 inch (15.9 × 15.9 cm) sheets can be found online or in Waldorf school stores. Grocery store wax paper or colored tissue are also options, but the crispness and translucency of the kite paper make it worth the special order.

CONSIDERATIONS

The possibilities for these stars are endless. Begin with a square instead of a rectangle, vary the paper size, modify the folds, overlap the sections in a different fashion, alternate colors, or include the entire rainbow!

Excerpted from Playing With Paper: Illuminating, Engineering, and Reimagining Paper Art by Helen Hiebert. Reprinted with permission from Quarry Books.