Paper Cross Christmas Tree Ornament

Make cross ornaments to remind everyone of the reason for Christmas--that Jesus’ birth was to provide salvation for all people. Because of this amazing love, you may want to add a red heart in the middle square of the cross. You can adjust the size of the cross by using longer or shorter strips of paper which will in turn make larger or smaller square boxes.

Cut 6 strips of colored paper.

1. Form each strip into a ring and glue the ends together.

2. Flatten each ring.

3. Open each flattened ring, line up the fold marks, and flatten again. Open as a square. If you still don’t understand how to make these shapes, see photos below.

4. Glue 4 squares on top of each other.

5. Glue the last two squares on both sides of the second to top box.

1. 2. 3.

1. Make a ring shape:

Cut a strip of paper. Bend it into a ring shape and glue the ends together. This technique is used for making big rings as well as small ones.

2. Make a leaf shape:

Press the ring flat.

3. Make a square shape:

Open the leaf shape, line up the two folded places, and press the ring flat again. When you open it this time, it is no longer a ring, but a square.

Step by step photos to make the square boxes

I hope these photos don’t confuse you because the size and color is different! The technique is still the same.

Optional: make a heart and glue it into the middle square. See two ways to make a heart below.

Make a heart in the same way: make a ring then flatten. The next step is different--open the flattened ring, but push one fold inside the circle and pinch there. This shape will relax and lose it’s shape, but putting it inside the square will make it hold it’s shape, so glue the top rounded humps of the heart and slide into the middle square.

Another simple way to form a heart is to fold a strip of paper in half to form a “V” shape. Curl both ends on a skewer, toothpick or nail. Glue the 2 curls together.

Crafts > Crafts for Adults by Season > 15 Paper Christmas Tree Ornaments > Paper Cross Christmas Tree Ornament

NOTE: If you plan for a classroom of kids to make these, cut out strips of paper with a paper cutter ahead of time, then in class, all the kids have to do is fold and glue them. If you don’t have a paper cutter, use lined notebook paper as a guide, but cut on every other line rather than every line, since the strips would be too narrow if you cut every line. Save time by cutting 3-4 sheets of paper at a time with the same effort as cutting one. You do need a good pair of scissors to do this. The sheets of paper do tend to slide, so readjust the sheets after every few cuts.