Origami is the ancient Art of Paper Folding. Whilst the name Origami is Japanese in origin, paper folding traditions arose in Europe, China, and Japan at separate times throughout history. The earliest of these being in China during the Song Dynasty (905 – 1125 CE).
In the 20th century, paper folding practices and crafts came to be known under one name – Origami. There are numerous types of Origami, including Modular Origami, Action Origami, and Pureland Origami. There’s also mathematical applications of Origami, and even Origami related computer programs.
As you might have guessed from the name, Origami Lucky Stars are supposed to add a little luck to your life. A popular tradition involves filling glass jars with these stars.
They can also be used for decorative purposes or added to a gift wrap for some extra charm. You may also have heard them being referred to as puffy stars or wishing stars.
This tutorial will show you how to make an origami lucky star using only a few simple steps. It’s easy to do, but it does require patience and practice.
You’ll need to fold a piece of paper into a triangle shape before cutting out the star. Once cut, you’ll then fold the star in half again to form two triangles that meet each other at their tips. These triangles will eventually be folded over on top of each other to create the final star shape.
They’re made from strips of paper which are cut to 10 or 11 inches long. The width of the paper is completely down to you, but between 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch works best. As you might expect, thinner strips of paper make smaller stars and vice versa.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to make origami lucky stars in a handy step-by-step guide.
What Do I Need To Make Origami Lucky Stars?
Before we get into the step-by-step guide, make sure you have the following materials and tools to make these stars:
- Paper Cutter or Scissors
- A Ruler
- Paper – this can be standard printer paper, A4 paper, origami paper, letter paper, or patterned paper.
The following are all optional:
- Pencil
- Sticky Tape
- Glass Jar (for storing the stars)
How To Make Origami Stars: Step-By Step Guide
1. Folding The Strip Of Paper
- If you’re using colored paper or origami paper, you’ll want to have the paper color side up
- Start by bringing the right end of the paper over and down
- Next, bring the bottom end up and over the left end
- You should have a loop, feed the bottom end of the paper behind and through the loop
- Pull the end through the loop. At the same time, pull the bottom end to tighten the knot
2. Making The Knot Of The Star
- By now you should have a knot, keep wiggling and pulling the knot tighter. Make sure you flatten it at the same time
- The left-hand side of the paper should now be much longer than the right. Fold that excess paper behind the knot. You may need to cut it off if it’s too long
- Next, you’ll need to fold the end on the left behind the knot. Make sure the bottom edge is aligned with the bottom edge of the shape in the center
- By now, it should start to look like a pentagon. Continue wrapping the pentagon. Fold the strip on the top over the top left
3. Continue Wrapping The Pentagon
- Wrapping the pentagon, fold the strip down behind the bottom of the shape
- Fold the strip up and over the right of the shape
- Continue doing this until you have a small section of free paper left
- If this section of paper is too long, you can cut or tear it off
4. Finishing With Tucks And Inflating The Star
- By now, you should have a short end of the strip of paper – insert this inside the pocket
- Now it’s time to inflate the star. Pinch in one of the points of the star using your thumb and index finger
- Do the same for all points on the star
- You can get a different star shape by pinching more or less points
Frequently Asked Questions
How Big Should My Lucky Stars Be?
There really isn’t any set size. Depending on what kind of luck you’re looking for, you could go as large as 3 feet across!
Can I Use Normal Paper?
Absolutely! If you’d rather practice on normal paper before buying origami paper, that’s totally up to you! In fact, we’d recommend doing some practice runs first.
How Many Stars Will Fit In A Jar?
We’ve found that anywhere from 5-10 stars work well. It depends on how big your jar is and how big your stars are
Wrapping Up
The sky is quite literally the limit in terms of the look and feel of these stars. As they can be made out of any paper, you could try making them with patterned paper for a special effect.
For the best results, we recommend using traditional origami paper, which can be found here.
Now that you’ve learned how to make an origami lucky star, you can use them as decoration or gifts. Some people even put them into their homes to bring good luck. It’s really up to you!
