How to make origami stars from fabric scraps

Whip up Anna Alicia's origami star baubles for your Christmas tree – we're here to show you how!

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Published: October 8, 2020 at 8:54 am

All you need is a little clever folding and weaving and a few strips of fabric from your stash to create handmade decorations this holiday season.

Anna's used Dashwood Studios fabric to shape her stars from frosty prints but this is also a great stash-buster to show off fabric scraps too. Scroll down for our video to show you how it's done.

Looking for more Christmas sewing projects? Take a look at 32 of the best free Christmas sewing patterns or find inspiration with our collection of 25 quick gifts to sew when you're short of time. If you're looking for more ways to use up those leftover Christmas pieces of material, then learn how to turn fabric scraps into Christmas baubles.

You will need

  • Quilting-weight cotton fabric: 30x32cm (12x13in) per star
  • Gold cord: 1-2mm thickness x 1m (18in thickness x 118yd)
  • Large needle
  • Basic sewing kit

We've used Winterfold fabrics from Dashwood Studios.

You can find Anna Alicia's full step-by-step tutorial below, or watch our video to see this method in action!

Cutting out

Step 1

From the cotton fabric cut: Star strips: four strips 30x8cm (12x318in).

Preparing the strips

Step 2

Fold one strip in half wrong side (WS) together, so the long edges meet, and press with a hot iron. Unfold the strip and now fold both long edges to meet the centre crease you have just made. Press along the folds.

Step 3

Re-fold along the centre crease and press again.

How to fold fabric stars step 1

Step 4

Fold a strip in half with the short ends meeting and overlap one end by approx 2.5cm (1in). Press the fold.

How to fold fabric stars step 2

Step 5

Repeat these steps with the three remaining strips.

Folding the stars

Step 6

Take four of the strips in the same fabric and lay out with the shorter sides on top. Arrange two of the strips as in the image, so that the second strip sandwiches the first 2cm (¾in) from its folded end.

How to fold fabric stars step 3

Step 7

The third strip then sandwiches the second in the same way. Finally, the fourth sandwiches the third then is tucked through the folded end of the first. Gently pull the raw ends until they tightly and neatly fit together.

How to fold fabric stars step 4

Step 8

Turn your woven piece over. Fold just the top, longer piece of one of the strips over the central weaving, then work around, folding the second and third. At the fourth strip, fold but also tuck the strip under the first.

Step 9

Take one of the strips that is closer to the front of your woven piece and fold it at an angle, and then fold again at an angle to create a point, as in the image.

How to fold fabric stars step 5

Step 10

Fold this point in half, towards your weaving, and tuck the raw end underneath the square below – there will be a raw end sticking out at this stage.

How to fold fabric stars step 6

Step 11

Repeat this for each of the strips that are closer to the front (which will mean skipping every other strip). Turn over and repeat on the other side with the remaining strips.

Step 12

Gently pull one of the raw ends a little further through, trim and then pull the point back into place. Repeat for each point on both sides.

Finishing off

Step 13

Thread the cord onto a large needle. Pass the needle through the inside of the star, from the middle of the bottom edge to the middle of the top edge. Pass the needle between the woven layers and not through to the outer fabric.

Step 14

Pass the needle back down on the other side of the inner panel. Tie the ends in a double knot and trim, then give the loop at the top a little tug on one side to hide the knot.

Origami stars made using fabric