DIY Party Decorations

Crafts to liven up the party

DIY Party Decorations

Crafts to liven up the party

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Party Decorations • Friday Fun • 4th of July Crafts • Geometric Toys to Make

Patriotic Star Garland

Decorate with colorful stars!

Star garland with five-pointed stars in red, white and blue

What you will make:

Make paper stars in red, white and blue, then string them together to make a garland for Memorial Day, Flag Day or the Fourth of July. Simply use different colors of paper to make star decorations for Christmas or other holidays. This project is great for family, classroom or group craft time. It requires no patterns and uses simple materials. With a little preparation by the adults or teen leaders, this project is fast and fun.

Related craft: Make a Stars and Stripes Pennant Banner with five-pointed stars or for really quick decorations make Chinese Paper Lanterns.

Here's what you need:

Craft paper in red, white and blue
Scissors
Hole punch

Yarn
Ruler or paper trimmer

This project is rated EASY to do.

Before you start

Make a place to work.
Read all of the directions.
Gather everything you need to do the project.
Think about the project. Imagine how it will look and what you will do with it.

How to Make a Star Garland

Read all of the steps before starting.

Step 1: Project Preparation

Precut paper blanks for the stars in equal amounts of red, white and blue. Each star is cut from a rectangle that is 4" by 5" or 6" by 7½". For best results, the blanks need to have straight sides and square corners. The sizes can vary a bit. If you want larger or smaller stars, just keep similar proportions—an 8" by 10" rectangle works well for a large star.

Step 2: Make Five-Pointed Stars

Illustration for making the 5-pointed stars

Fold the rectangle in half, matching the short sides.
Find the center of the left side by folding in half again and making a short pinch crease. Unfold.
With the fold at the bottom, bring the lower right corner to the center of the left side (marked with the pinch crease) and crease.
Fold the lower left corner up and crease along the folded edge above it. A triangle shape will be on top.
Fold again, matching the folded edge of the triangle to the right side. The narrow tip of the folded paper is the center of the star.
Cut the folded paper on an angled line from the left edge to the right edge—see the illustration. Unfold the triangle that was cut off to reveal the star. Vary the angle of the cut line to change the thickness of the star points.

Step 3: Punch Holes

Punch holes in two opposite points of each star.

Step 4: String the Stars

Punch holes in the stars and string them on a length of yarn

Cut a length of yarn long enough for the number of stars and where it will be hung—usually 4 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters.) Weave the yarn through the punched holes on the stars (children may need help here). A blunt yarn needle can make the job go faster.

Step 5: Hang Garland