standing Paper Christmas decorations

Paper Angel Ornament

for Window or Tree

1.Cut 2 strips of paper 11 in. x 3/4 in. (30cm. x 2 cm.) Cut one strip in half.
2.Make a loop out of the longest strip by gluing or stapling the ends together.
3.Pinch the loop near one end so that the head is formed. Staple or glue in place.
4.Make the 2 wings by gluing or stapling the ends of the 2 shorter strips together. They should be tear-drop shapes rather than loops. (see photo below)
5.Glue or staple the wings next to the neck, just under the head.
6.Pinch or fold the large part of the loop in 2 places so that it looks like a dress.
7.Optional: make a strip of a longer piece of paper, glue or staple it into a circle, and hang the angel in the middle of the circle.
8.Use a needle and thread to make a loop for hanging.

Note: a paper cutter makes preparation for this craft much faster than scissors, especially if you can cut several sheets at once.

Paper Star Ornament

for Window or Tree

1.Cut 5 strips of paper 8 1/2 in x 3/4 in. (21x2 cm.) . Cut 5 more strips of paper that are 6 x 3/4 in. (15 x 2 cm.) .
2.Make all 10 strip into a loop by gluing or stapling the ends together.
3.Fold all 10 loops flat.
4.Open the loops, then put the fold lines together and fold flat again.
5.Open all 10 loops that should now be diamond shapes.
6.Glue or staple the 5 small diamonds inside the 5 large diamonds.
7.Glue or staple the 5 large diamonds together to form a star.
8.Use a needle and thread to make a loop for hanging.

Note: if you can’t find paper that is 2 different colors on the two sides, then you can achieve the same result with 2 sheets of different colored paper. However, don’t glue the 2 sheets together since they are likely to buckle when you fold them. Just glue them together when you are forming the loops.

Paper Heart Ornament for Window or Tree

1.Cut 2 strips of paper 8 1/2 in x 3/4 in. (21x2 cm.) These measurements don’t have to be exact.
1.Cut 2 strips of paper 6 x 3/4 in. (16 x 2 cm.) This doesn’t have to be exact.
2.Glue or staple the 2 ends of a short strip together to form a teardrop shape.
3.Place a long strip over the short strip that has already been made into a teardrop shape and glue or staple the ends in place. (see photo below)
4.Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the remaining short and long strip.
5.Glue or staple the 2 teardrop shapes so the glued ends are together to form a heart.
6.Use a needle and thread to make a loop for hanging.

If all that sounds too complicated, look at the middle of this page for a quicker way to make these hearts:

view quick paper hearts

See below for adding leaves to heart

Decorate narrow ledges like the top of the T.V., on windowsill, or bookshelves with these easy to make paper decorations. Of course, they can be hung on the tree, too.

Make the heart stand up by adding 3 leaves on each side. Make the leaves by making rings out of green paper, then fold flat.

Make the decorations waterproof by making them out of foam sheets. Cut it into strips and make in the same way--a glue gun is the best way to glue foam.

The angel is a little plain by itself, so dress it up with a curly red frame. Glue strips of red paper into a triangle to fit around the angel--make it 2 layers thick for added strength. Cut 6 strips of paper and curl the ends. Glue them to the triangle frame, but squeeze the ends toward the middle so the middle humps up.

Make the star stand up by making a base out of paper spirals under the two lower points. Roll the spirals beyond the halfway point to make the spiral on one end bigger than the spiral on the other end. Put both bigger spirals in the middle to keep the star shape.

Make holly leaves by folding strips of green paper into thirds, sort of--”one third” should be slightly shorter than the other “two thirds.” The short third becomes the vein in the middle, and the longer “two thirds” become the outside edges of the leaves. Fold these outside edges in two places to make the points, then glue both tip and the stem end. Make red berries by rolling red strips of paper into spirals.

Crafts > Crafts for Adults by Season > 15 Paper Christmas Tree Ornaments > 4 Standing Paper Christmas Decorations