Star Wreath Tutorial

It's been a while since I have done a tutorial, so I'm going all out on this one. Just in time for the holidays, make this beautiful wreath with just a few cheap supplies!

Make me!

You'll need:
Card Stock (I used double-sided 12x12 inch scrapbooking card stock, but as long as it's thick, it'll work)
Printer paper
Cardboard (at least 12 inches square)
Printer (or a steady hand and a good eye for stars)
Glue (even Elmer's should work, but I use fabric glue here)
Exacto knife
Ruler
Tape
3-4 inch Star Template (see below)
Ribbon
Buttons (optional)

I originally got this idea, in it's entirety, from Little Birdie Secrets, so mad props to those folks. I take no credit for the genius, but simply wish to pass on my version, which uses less-expensive (or at least easier to find) methods. Basically, I didn't have a hot glue gun, bone folder, scoring template, or die-cutting machine. But I carried on! Here's the steps:

 Gather your supplies! Print or draw out your templates (I made my own, available here as a PDF). You'll need about 36 stars, so print 3 copies of the template if you use mine. If you draw them yourself, make sure the stars are a bit "chunky" so that they will fold correctly. 

If you are prone to spastic cutting (like me), tape your stars in place, then cut cut cut. You can use the old "3 layers of paper and scissors" trick, but it's tough with card stock, plus they'll need to be accurate, so be careful. I did mine one at a time. Only 12 of the 36 stars will be dimensional, so keep that in mind when you choose how many stars to cut from each pattern of paper.

Admire handiwork. Take coffee break.

 To score your 12 "dimensional" stars, cut VERY lightly on each star following the diagram above. You only want to cut through the card stock enough to make a clean fold. I had a new exacto blade (highly recommended) so I barely had to press down to get a nice score. 

Next, form your stars by pushing down in the "valleys" (the inward angles) and up on the "mountains" ( the points) of each star. I could take pictures and show you diagrams, but it's more of a hands on thing. You'll understand when you try it.

Next, run a thin line of glue along the edge of each star with the concave side up (think spoon, not dome). You'll need just enough glue to stick the star to a sheet of printer paper (as shown). 

Alternates: You can glue them to card stock instead, but this part won't show, and is only for structural support. You can also skip the star backing altogether, but I wanted my wreath to stand up to a beating and last several years. Plus, I'd wager this eliminates a lot of frustration when it comes time to assemble everything.

Glue all your stars onto 2 or 3 sheets of printer paper, then cut them out. I didn't have to use a ruler to do this. The dimension of the star allowed me to carefully free-hand with the exacto.

Admire handiwork again. Cupcake break.

BONUS! The stars from the template work well if you have little hands that want to help.

Cut out a wreath form that is roughly 10-12 inches in diameter. I used a box cutter instead of my exacto for this step, and made it into a (very) rough octagon, rather than cut on a curve unnecessarily.

Now comes the fun part - start to assemble! I love this. Glue 8-12 flat stars onto the wreath form with a small gap in between (lay them out first to see how many and how far apart).

Glue a second layer on top so that no cardboard shows.

Finish off with your beautiful dimensional stars. Ain't they purdy?

Optional: Add buttons or other small knick-knacks to the mid-points of the dimensional stars (works well to protect that delicate paper point from damage). Be creative! You could use just about anything that size, providing your glue is strong enough.

Optional: Make and glue a huge, gaudy bow on the bottom. Inform Scarlett O'Hara via post. (Wired ribbon works great!)

Glue a ribbon loop on the back to hang the sucker, then pound a nail into a door and display. Force husband to come compliment the finished project (works well as retaliation for complaints about noisy hammering).

Finish with a yet another celebratory cup of coffee and cupcake.

Enjoy! If you try it, send me a picture! If you have any questions, leave a comment here or on facebook, or you can always email me at farbeyonddesigns@gmail.com. Happy Crafting!