I found a great tutorial showing how to make a floating star Christmas tree topper. These sparkly stars look like they are floating in mid-air and look especially great when the tree lights are switched on.
The secret is to suspend them on a thread that is the same color as the walls behind them.
This tutorial describes how to make one bigger star and five little ones, but you can just make the big one if you wish.
If you rent your house, or even if you don’t, you’ll want to attach them to your ceiling with something that won’t leave a mark. Clear tape is the suggestion in the tutorial, but you decide what is best for your circumstances.
Supplies Needed
- Iridescent glitter
- Hobby knife Or a tool with a sharp point, such as a drawing compass
- Cardboard, maybe a manilla folder. The cardboard is the standard manilla folder color in this tutorial. You could choose another color and then select your glitter to match.
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Glue
- Hairspray
- Thread in the same color as your walls
- Clear tape, or your preferred method for attaching the thread to the ceiling
Step-By-Step Instructions
Cutting And Folding
- If you are using a manilla folder, measure a 6 x 6-inch square in pencil on the fold. Cut it out and then cut along the fold to produce 2 squares.
- If using plain cardboard, mark out two 6 x 6-inch squares and cut them out.
- Take one square, fold it in half, and unfold it.
- Fold it the other way, and unfold.
- Repeat for the other square.
- Take one square, and flip it over.
- Fold one corner over to the diagonally opposite corner, and unfold.
- Fold the opposite corner over to the diagonally opposite corner, unfold.
- Lay it down as it is.
- Repeat for the other square.
Forming The Star
- Don’t flip the squares; continue with the procedure on the side that is facing up now.
- Make a dot mark about an inch from the edge on the folds at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock.
- Cut to the mark from the edge on each side.
- Fold each piece to the diagonal fold. Make sure where each pair meets makes a crisp point.
- Use the handle of the scissors to define the creases.
- Put glue on one side of a star point.
- Slide the other side of the pair over and stick with glue. Make sure the glue is set.
- Repeat for all points.
- Repeat the whole process in this section for the other piece of cardboard.
- Glue the two stars together with the points on one side meeting the no-point section on the other side to create an 8-point star. It should look like the star in the image at the top of this post.
- Allow to dry.
The Smaller Stars
While you’re waiting for the glue on the big star to dry, you can make the smaller stars.
- Using the method above, make five 2 x 2-inch stars.
- Apply glue all over each star and sprinkle with glitter. Allow to dry.
Finishing The Stars
- On the big star, punch holes along the edges of the raised sections.
- Coat glue all over one side of the star, and sprinkle with glitter. Allow to dry.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Apply hairspray on all stars to seal the glitter.
Hanging The Stars
- Punch holes on both sides of the tops of each star.
- Put colored thread through the holes, knot it, and cut to the desired length.
- Hang the big star directly over the position of your Christmas tree.
- Hang the smaller stars at intervals around the big star.
Now you have your own little solar system of floating stars!