3D Star

A 3D five-pointed star made of two halves. Each half is folded from a sheet into a ten-layer accordion and cut along a single line: the accordion folds become the ridges and valleys of the points. The halves are glued together by their tabs, and a loop of twine comes out of one point.

• Medium
• 2 Letter sheets
• 2 halves
• 10 tabs
• 14 cm across

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 8598

On VanGami the template appears over your sheet through your phone camera — no printer needed. Trace it, cut, fold and glue. Below are all the steps in text.

What you’ll need

• 2 Letter sheets — office paper, 80 gsm (20 lb)
• Pencil — and eraser
• Ruler — 8–12 in
• Scissors — regular-size, sharp
• Glue stick — or PVA glue
• Tape — a ¾ in piece — to secure the loop
• Thread or string
• Binder clip or paper clip — optional — to hold the folded wedge
• Glass — phone stand

Steps

Trace

1. Sheet 1: sheet for the first half. Take the sheet for the first half. You don’t need the camera here — follow the diagram on the screen.
2. Fold and cut line. Fold the sheet in half, short edge to short edge, and place it with the fold toward you: the fold goes on dashed line 1, and the middle of the fold goes at the point where lines 1 and 2 meet. Trace the solid line made of three segments — you’ll cut along it.
3. Two dashed lines. You don’t need to draw dashed line 1: that’s the fold of the sheet. Use a ruler to draw dashed lines: the slanted line 2 — extend it to the side edge of the sheet — and line 3 between the ends of the cut line. Write the numbers next to them.
4. Sheet 2: sheet for the second half. Take the sheet for the second half. You don’t need the camera here — follow the diagram on the screen.
5. Fold and cut line. Fold the second sheet in half and place it the same way: the fold goes on dashed line 1, and the middle of the fold goes at the point where the lines meet. Trace the cut line: here it is a single straight line.
6. One dashed line. Only line 2: draw it with a ruler, extend it to the side edge of the sheet and write its number.

Fold

7. Wedge — fold back. Take the folded sheet with the fold down and the lines toward you. Fold the wedge with the cut line back along line 2, behind the sheet: the fold runs from the middle of the sheet’s fold to the side edge.
8. Accordion. Next, make the accordion: fold the wedge forward, onto the sheet, then back, then forward again. Each fold goes exactly along the edge of the wedge.

Cut

9. Cut through ten layers. Hold the wedge with your fingers or a clip between the pointed end and the cut line so the layers don’t slip. Cut along the solid line: three short segments through all ten layers.
10. Tab — fold both ways. Without unfolding the wedge, fold the shaped edge up along line 3, crease it with your fingernail and fold it down the same way. This is the fold for all ten tabs at once.

Unfold

11. Unfold the star. Unfold the accordion, then the fold of the sheet — like a book. Lay the star pencil lines down: a fold already runs to every tip and every inner corner.
12. Ridges and valleys. Bend each fold that leads to a tip up into a ridge, and each fold that leads to an inner corner down into a valley. Bring the points together until the middle rises 1 in: check with a ruler.
13. Second half. Accordion-fold the second sheet and cut it the same way, only the cut here is a single straight line. Unfold it, lay it pencil side down and shape the ridges and valleys to the same height as on the first half.

Glue

14. Tabs — fold in. Flip the first half over so its peak points down. Fold all ten tabs inward along the existing creases — a little past a right angle.
15. Loop. Fold a piece of twine or thread in half and tie the ends in a knot. Attach the knot inside one ray with a small piece of tape, ¾ in from the tip, with the loop sticking out.
16. Join the halves. Place the second half over the first, tip to tip. Glue one point at a time: lift the edge, apply glue to the two tabs of that point, squeeze at the folds and hold — and do this five times.

Check

17. Check the edges. The edges meet along their whole length and the loop holds. Where an edge has come loose, dab glue on the tab and press it again.

Done. The star is done. Let the glue set and hang it by the loop — on a Christmas tree, a window or a door handle.

Make it with your phone camera

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