How To Make Puffy Stars-Origami
Level:Easy
Time:5 minutes
Cost:$0-5 (depending on paper choice)
So in all honesty, I'm not sure how Lynique feels about paper folding... all I know is that the only time I've seen her fold paper was during our days as Oregon 4-H presentation champs:) That being said, I LOVE paper folding. I've had a love affair with Origami since 3rd grade thanks to a beautiful friend I met while visiting Wonderland Elementry in Laurel Canyon. I used to make paper cranes so small most people wouldnt even realize they were folded paper but rather bits of paper. I make jewelry using origami (self promotion here), fold love notes, use as vase fillers, and so much more. One of my favorite go-tos in paper folding is the "Puffy Star". For me it's a way to pass time or keep my hands busy while I'm waiting on other to finish their meals (I'm a really fast eater). So I've decided to make a tutorial for these fun little bobbles.
What You Will Need:
Paper (copy paper, wrapping paper, fruit-by-the-foot paper...)
Scissors
Ruler (optional, but nice to have)
First you will need strips of paper with a ratio of AT LEAST 1:16 (that means if you are using 1/2" wide paper then you will need it to be at least 8" long) but the longer the paper the easier it will be to create the star and the more puffy it will be. So if you have a sheet of copy paper I would recommend cutting your 1/2" strips length wise so you end up with 1/2"x11" strips (though again, you can get away with 1/2"x8.5" strips if you prefer)
Once you have made strips of paper you will need to select one and make a flat knot in the paper. To do this, cross the ends to form what looks like an awareness ribbon.
Then take one of the ends and feed it through the loop.
Pull the ends until you form a flat knot toward one end. It should look like this, with a little tab sticking out.
Fold the tab into the center (cut down or fold over if it is longer than the base you have started)
Now you will take the long end of the strip and fold it behind the base, following the bottom edge.
Now you will continue following the edges of the base by bringing the strip around the front side, covering the tab and following the top right edge like this:
Continue folding the strip towards the back again making sure the strip of paper follows along the edges of the base not into the center. This time the strip will follow the left side and appear at the bottom of the base.
Fold up and across the front of the base, lining up with the right side edge of the base.
You should continue wrapping the strip along the edges of your base until you reach the end of your strip and have a tab like this:
You will be tucking this tab into the folds, so turn the base over so you can see what you're doing.
You will be tucking the tab into the triangle shape, under the top wraps. (If your tab is a bit too long for this, trim or fold so it fits comfortably into the shape)
Continue feeding the tab under the folds until you have a flat edge along the base.
Your completed base should look like this and hold together by itself.
Now to form the star. Use your finger nail to find the middle of each edge and push inward towards the center of the base.
Do this for all the edges. It may help to pinch a couple at a time as you go around the base.
Your final star should look like this:
So keep folding away until you have more puffies than you know what to do with!
Experiment with different sizes and colors and leave us a photo of your work in the comments below!
