Christmas Stars: Easy, Cheap Way to Create your Own
Posted: Thursday, June 17, 2010
by Jennifer Landers
Christmas Tree For Me
You may think it's all been said and done, but there is still that tingle you get every time you think of Christmas. It really is a special time when families come together, maybe even try to outdo each other with gifts, dishes, and decor. Hopefully, it's done in the spirit of giving and sharing, instead of competing and trying to outdo the other.
Make A Christmas Star
The Christmas star was originally intended to draw people into the home, just as it did many years ago in Bethlehem. You can use a lantern or modern Christmas lights, but wouldn't it be more special if you could make your own Christmas star with simple materials?
Start by shaping a 5 point star using thin sticks like wooden chopsticks, barbeque sticks, or even non-bendable straws. Connect them with kitchen string, the kind you would use for roasting. You can also try straw string, if you have any, or regular sewing thread. If you do use thread, make sure to double or even triple the knots connecting the edges so you can retain the star shape. The shape you should be aiming for is a star with sides. This would mean two or three-dimensional shape instead of a flat star. This will allow you to put a small Christmas light inside with the help of your local carpenter or electrician.
To dress up your star, get some cellophane or Japanese paper, and measure the sides of the star. Cut up the paper into the size of the different sections of the star. If you want, you can cut bigger pieces, glue them to the star, then trim after. Just make sure the paper is glued tight with no slack anywhere. You can have as many different paper colors as you want, or you might prefer to keep it monotone, and decorate with glitter, lace, or tiny stickers.
If you want a more elaborate Christmas star, you can leave the center open. Glue a piece of light wood to make a stand, and place a bit of Christmas holly in the middle. You can actually put anything you want as the centerpiece including photos or figurines.
To make tassels for your Christmas star, all you'll need are a few more sheets of cellophane or Japanese paper. If you have made pom-poms before, then you know what to do. If not, all you need are a few strands of the paper, tied together at one end. You can cut the paper into decorative shapes or just leave them as thin strands. Tie your tassels to the bottom end corners of your Christmas star.
It is also possible to add some scent to your Christmas star by applying the glue, before adding cinnamon or other scents. Or, you could simply spray your frame before you glue the paper on so your paper does not get tainted or spotty in any way.
You know, if you make several of these Christmas stars in various sizes, you can hang them outside your home like lanterns, either in your doorstep, the corners of your home, or even in your garden. You could make tiny ones, and hang them in threes in a corner of your guest bathroom, living room, kitchen, above your Christmas tree, or even in your bedroom as the season's festive yet dreamy nightlight.
Bring Christmas, friends, and relatives home this year and enjoy the festivities together ... as a family.
Jennifer is a freelance writer for http://www.christmastreeforme.com which provides Artificial Christmas Trees
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)It's a lot of fun to make your own Christmas stars - and decorations.
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