Lucky stars are tiny puffed paper stars folded from a single strip. Each one takes under a minute once you have the knack, which makes them perfect for folding in front of the TV. A jar of a hundred is a gift that clearly took time, and you can write a message on each strip before folding it.
Get your strips
The Lucky star strips template prints strips at the width and length you choose, so you do not have to measure and cut them one by one. Print, then cut along the lines with a craft knife and ruler, or a paper trimmer, which is much faster for long straight cuts.
Paper: ordinary printer paper (80 gsm) is ideal. Thicker card will not wrap tightly. Coloured paper or a printed pattern gives coloured stars.
Strip size: the width sets the size of the star. A wider strip makes a bigger star, and it needs to be longer too: keep the length about 20 times the width. The template opens with strips of 13 × 250 mm, which make a small star about the size of a fingertip.
How to fold a lucky star
- Tie a loose knot. Near one end of the strip, tie a simple overhand knot, as if tying a shoelace knot with one strand.
- Flatten it into a pentagon. Gently tighten the knot and press it flat. Pull slowly until the knot makes a neat five-sided shape with straight edges. Do not pull it tight; a crumpled pentagon makes a lopsided star.
- Tuck the short tail. Fold the short end into the pentagon so it disappears. Trim it first if it is too long.
- Wrap the long strip around. Fold the long end along the edge of the pentagon, then along the next edge, and keep going. Each wrap lies flat along an edge. Keep the strip snug, not tight.
- Tuck the end. When there is only a short piece left, tuck it under the last layer of the wrap.
- Puff it up. Hold the pentagon by two corners. With a fingernail, push in the middle of one edge so it dents inward. Turn and do the next edge. After all five, the pentagon puffs into a star.
Why my star came out wrong
- It stays flat when I puff it: the wraps are too tight. Wrap more loosely next time.
- It is lopsided: the first pentagon was uneven. Spend longer getting step 2 neat; everything else follows it.
- The edges will not dent: the paper is too thick, or the strip was too short to make enough layers.
- The end keeps coming out: tuck it under a full layer, not just the edge of the last one.
Ideas for your stars
- A message jar. Write a short note on each strip before folding: a memory, a compliment, a reason you love someone. The person can unfold one whenever they like. A jar of 100 or 365 is a classic anniversary or birthday gift.
- A box instead of a jar. A Round box, Heart box or Dome lid box, made in matching paper, holds a few dozen stars and posts more safely than glass.
- A garland. Thread stars on a fine needle and cotton, through two points, with a knot between each star to keep them spaced.
- Table scatter. A handful of stars on a party table costs nothing and looks deliberate.
- Counting with children. Folding one star a day toward a date (a birthday, the end of term, Christmas) makes the wait visible.
Questions
How long does one star take?
The first few take a few minutes each. After twenty or so, most people fold one in under a minute.
How many stars fit in a jar?
It depends on the jar and the star size. Fold a dozen, put them in, and estimate from how high they come.
Can children fold them?
From about eight, with patience. Younger children manage better with wider strips, which make bigger stars that are easier to handle.
What other origami templates are there?
The Kusudama flower ball and the Origami crease sheet give you paper cut and creased for larger models. All are in the origami section.