When I think of Christmas, one of the first things that pop into mind is always a star. Whether it’s because of the story of the Three Wise Men following David’s Star or just for the fact that they are pretty, stars are an emblematic part of Christmas.
I’ve bought some pretty nice ornaments in the past but this year, I wanted to add something that I made to the mix. After looking around for what shape to use, I decided to create paper dahlia flowers because I loved the way they looked when hanging and they way they reminded me of a Christmas star.
I don’t have a lot of space in my little house so I can’t fit a tree – I have a few bare branches that act as my festive corner over Christmas instead. Versatile enough to be an ornament or wrapping feature, the paper dahlias looked great hanging in amongst my ornaments and paper pinwheels!
What you need:
- 6 x patterned paper squares – I used papers with hints of gold for an added Christmas feel!
- Baker’s twine / cotton thread of your choice
- Single-hole punch
- General craft tools – craft knife, cutting mat, pencil and glue
*Because the dahlia pieces have several folds, I’ve included a downloadable PDF to guide you through the folds. Click here for the PDF.
Instructions:
- Fold 6 x dahlia flower components as per the steps outlined in the PDF.
- Apply glue to the sides of the dahlia pieces – make sure you only glue about 2/3 of the dahlia side from the base otherwise your dahlia won’t fan out nicely!!
- Stick all the pieces together side by side, making sure that they are all facing the same orientation.
- Once you reach the last piece, you will need to apply glue to the side then stick this back to the other side of the first piece to create a circular / fanned effect.
- Allow for the dahlia to dry for about a minute then start spreading each point (outer) and petal (inner) – there should be two outer points to between each centre petal.
- Using a single hole punch – punch a small hole at the back between the sides of two of the outer points.
- Thread through your string – your dahlia flower / Christmas star is ready for hanging!
