June 15, 2006
Welcome to Fold a Star
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This is a site dedicated to the humble Origami Star:
You’ll find information, history, and of course How to fold a star. If you have any questions or comments, leave them on the site, or email me directly. Thanks for stopping by.
66 responses to "Welcome to Fold a Star"
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What a wonderful website! I love how you came up with the idea to post an instructional video!
I’ve been a devoted origami star folder for the past 5 years. It’s such an addictive hobby… once I start making them, I can’t stop! Right now I’m working on filling a fishbowl with them, which is almost half-full with tiny stars, medium stars, and large stars. I like making necklaces with them, too.
I take a little jar with me and make them at restaurants as a time-waster. Everyone asks me questions about them, and sometimes I’ll leave a couple stars with the waiter’s tip.
While watching your video, I noticed that you make a loop around your finger with the paper when forming your knot. I form my knot a little differently. I also noticed that you use mainly your index finger while “puffing” it out… I just use my thumb. It’s so cool to see someone else’s techniques!
From Carley, an avid starfolder
Carley: Thank you so much for your comment!
I’d love to see a video of your technique, if at all possible.
I’ve started doing something slightly differently (I’m pretty new to this), to make the knot faster, I line up the tail that will be folded first halfway between the two other parts of the paper, then crease. This makes it so I don’t have to pull that tail at all - I just worry about the long tail.
I have a coke bottle half filled (a small glass one). I had to take a break because I ran out of that type of paper, and ToyToGo isn’t being very helpful in getting more! When I’m done, I’m going to post LOTS of pictures!
[...] After Carley left a “comment”:http://www.foldastar.com/welcome-to-fold-a-star/#comment-3, I just had to find out more! Turns out she’s an avid star maker too. Here’s some pictures of her project! (Video coming soon of how she folds her stars): [...]
heya, for those newbies to this i made some quick paper
http://xs.to/xs.php?f=origamistarpaper.png&h=xs102&d=06265
Wow, that’s awesome! Can I put that on foldastar.com?
sure you can ^_^
Hi! I just wanted to thank you. Of all the instructions on the web, yours helped the most! I just finished my first star.
HELP! I am folding these & having an awful time getting them to Puff up. As I am using regular copy paper right now, can I assume that is a part of the problem? Will it be easier with a thinner paper?
And Carly ever post her video, would love to see her technique too.
Thanks - Ann
Yes, paper makes a HUGE difference!
Order some star paper, it will help.
Hello. Thank you so much for the help on this website! Yesterday i was ill and i stayed home from school with nothing to do and i was bored and i found this website and it’s great! I spent ages yesterday afternoon learning how to make a star and finally i can do it. I’ve filled an empty jam jar with the stars I’ve made and now i can’t stop making them! My friend from Korea gave me lots of oragami paper so it’s quite easy to make the stars. I love making them!
Hello. does anyone know how to make star but LARGE ones? I am looking for one large enough in order to put on top of a christmas tree. (its for an inside joke) I am willing to compensate as well. Please email me at pimpshet@hotmail.com
how do you do a paper star?Please put the instructions on the page
thank you
wendy
please type the instructions please once again thank you very much
nice video! i was wondering what size the strip of paper you used was. thanks
Amie, I believe the paper is 7mm wide by 150mm (about a quarter inch by 6 inches).
It’s also very thin. You can order it online for about $1 per 90 strips
ah, finally!
star folding instructions!
it took forever,
but i finally found out what i was doing wrong.
thanks!
thx sooo much! i jus started yesterday and i can’t stop! I’m starting to make them out of magazine paper! They work great!
Thank you for your website. The video was very helpful and your tip to shop at opane.com too! I’m new at this! Seems to be fun so I may offer them to my Sunday School children and see if the kids like getting them for ‘good behavior’. Thanks again!
That webside is very cool :D
I’m from Poland so i don’t speak english very good :D
Hey! I like making these. It’s just something to do to past the time! I make them and put them in a star shaped container. I’m the only guy i know that makes them ‘^_^.
People from my job were asking me if there really is a point. I just do them because there fun and look cool, but is there really a point. I mean, does it have any specific meaning (i.e Luck) I’m just curious….
Jaydee - I’m a guy!
There is a point - it is said that if you make 100 stars, and give them to the one you like for valentine’s day - you’ll have love.
Or something like that :)
is there another meaning to the star.
isnt it good luck or something.
im curious too.
im making some right now, its so cute. im thinking of giving a jar to my friend.
I love folding stars (I fold them all the time)!
I am sorta running out of nice patterned paper to make them with, and I was wondering if you could add some patterned printable star paper.
I would really appreciate it! Thanks!
What paper did you use on the video?
ooo that was so cool :] just totally made my day :D tyyyy!
-nav
Awesome….i’m lovin them
But i am having hard time to puff them up!!! How do ya do it?
I heard that if you make 100 of these stars you get a wish. I’ve heard a lot of different things. I’ve been making these since elementary school, and just re-picked it up. I figured out that graph paper like you’d get at target or something works well with these if you cut a strip that’s as wide as one unit on the paper and as long as the sheet is tall.
These stars ROCK!
hi i am making these stars and i just started wondering if there was any history behind it. can you tell me if there is?
hi, i stumbled across this site and I LOVE IT!!! I subconsciously have been starting to make these with drinking straw wrappers… Never got to the final steps of making them pretty though. Now i can. Thanks!!
I really love these folding stars, but just curious. Could you perhaps use strips of paper from a paper shredder? I have one at home but I have yet to try it out, afraid that it might not be the right size. X:
You totally can use paper from a shredder, but it’s a bit thick to puff out well
I first made stars over two years ago, and that was on vacationin LA. So until now I haven’t really been folding stars. But once I got the hang of it again, I made as many as i could! I’m on vacation in Taiwan, and you can buy a whole bunch of really nice paper for only 10 yen which is about 30 cents. It’s awesome and I’ve already made half of the stars I bought yesterday!
Hi!
Well…i try and try, but i cant do this, I love this star, but i cant….T-T
help me please
and congratulations for the website :p
Hello :) I came across this site yesterday, and found it very helpful when it came to making these adorable stars. I’ve already filled a cup with them, heh ^^
hi, im having a lot of trouble puffing them up but the paper i’m using is star paper. it has this glossy side so whenever i make a star, right the before the puffing one side is thick and the other is thin.
is this the problem?
thank you for teaching me how to make such wonderful, cute stars! they’re so easy and so pretty! im going to make heaps! hehe. x
Beautiful site! was just wondering how u make bigger stars? mine still dont turn out perfect, but they are getting there!
While searching for the meaning behind the wishing stars I came across your website and say all the comments left. I learned how to make wishing stars when I was in 6th grade by a chinese girl in my class, and have been making them ever since. I’m currently filling a Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice Bottle with yellow wishing stars for my boyfriend, and with it i’m giving him a card with the meaning and the traditions behind them but it had been so long since my friend, Rachel, told me what they were.. I’ve found some information but I was really hoping to find out more and I thought with such an amazing amount of feedback you’ve gotten someone might be able to give me some insight. Keep up the starmaking! Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks a bunch!
hold the corners with ur thumb and the finger next to you thumb on the corneres of the pentagon and puff it up .. but rember not to hold the flat part orelse one side of the star will ge dented in , dw i had problems at the start to XD
100 stars for luck? That’s cool. I made 1000 paper cranes for luck… this seems easier.
Wow! This is so much fun! I ordered some paper from Opane last week, and started folding this week. What’s more, my fiancé immediately decided he wanted to learn to fold as well, so we’ve been foldin’ away!
So, here’s our plan. We’re getting married in October of 2008, and we want to have thousands of white and silver stars for the flower girls to throw instead of the usual petals, and possibly, if we’re ambitious, or have help, for the guests to throw instead of rice/bubbles.
So, my question is, does anyone know where I can get just silver star folding paper? We can use it in either direction if it’s just silvered on one side, and make silver and white stars that way.
Also, does anyone know how one would go about shipping the stars? I have friends out of town who’d be willing to help, but I have no idea how they’d get the stars to us!
Any help is super appreciated!
Hi I was wondering what the history od start folding is. I LOVE star folding.
Can you type out the history?
And do you have a printable design that you can post so that we can use the design?
Thanks!
hey guys! try this.
ii had the original Origami star fold paper scanned from my printer and with a little bit of editing from myself.
this paper includes patterns of coz.
This is without guide lines:
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g179/vengence9135/Origami_star_without_guide.png
This is with guide lines:
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g179/vengence9135/Origami_star_with_guide_lines.png
Copyright. not mine.
ii forgotten the company name. XP
Kastner if this is illegal pls delete my comment away.
=]] ii don want to break the law. ^^
hi i was wondering if you can make a web page that tells me how to do it step, by step. LOVE IT!
I just stumbled upon this site today and I’m already hooked! I ordered a bunch of star paper not too long ago and I can’t wait for it to arrive so I can start folding!
Aimee -
That sounds like such a great idea. You could perhaps have them put the stars into a jar, put the jar in a box and then ship the box! :)
Gelmarie, look at the top of the comment page. There’s a link to how to fold a star. There’s also a video.
Emilee, that’s a great idea. I may have to have them do that. I still haven’t had any luck finding just silver star paper, so I bought some origami paper online. Now I just need to get a paper cutter!
I’m so glad to find this website! I spend almost all my spare time making them. right now I’ve got them in an old bubble gum machine. It’s about half full too. Thankfully, there are loads of places here that sell star paper. Does anyone know how to fold the straw ones? Maybe?
Um…Where did the step-by-step part go?
:(
Thank you for this lovely site and lovely star.
I write a blog (in German!) for parents and recommended your site.
You will find my article under this link:
http://www.manoolia.de/blog/weisst-du-wie-die-sternlein-gehen-anleitungen-zum-sterne-machen/
Greetings from Berlin!
Sarah.
My dad and I have started making these stars today. I was given them on Christmas day. The instructions we got didn’t make sense. But now we have seen your video they do make sense. Thankyou for showing my Dad and I how to do it. I am about to make my own patterns for my stars.
From Maigan [aged 7]
Hey…
I’ve just been making these for about three or four days now…Its so addicting! Helps a lot if I’m in a bad mood or if I’m nervous, anyone with OCD should do this, hehehe…
Does anyone have any problems getting the holographic shiny paper to puff up? Sometimes I have great ones turn out, and sometimes they suck horribly! The regular paper ones all look awesome though.
hey,
I was wondering where do you get the holographic paper? i was just really curios and thanks for this site!!! it helps a whole lot!!!!
Princessmwm
dude your stars r awesome i just love making them its soooo addictive i love and that bowl of stars is coool the stars are gonna bepassed down through the family!! thanks!
awesome
dude sorry 2 bug u i just wanted u to e-mail me at mcarroll65@yahoo.com!
I’ve found puffing up is easy if you first fold the star loosely with air inside. Before, I did it all tight and puffing it up was horrible!
How do you get all the points of the star when puffed up to be even?
hi, decided to make some origami stars for a 1 month anniversary and it was really easy from your tutorial!
many thanks
Hey! I LOVE your stars! They’re awesome. But, I can’t figure out how to make them. I’ve watched the video lots of times, but i still cannot figure it out! If nit wouldn’t be too much troube, could you please put step by step instructions on the website so i could possibly make some stars? Oh, yes, I forgot one thing- how do you get the special paper? Does regular printer paper work? I’ve tried it with this paper, and it sort of kinda worked. Not really. I don’t know if i’m doping it the right way. It would be nice if you had instructions on the site.
Thanks!
color*lover
I just want to ask if anyone here knows how many stars = what meaning all i know is 520 = i love you and 1314 is forever and love
why do people fold paper stars? is there ani meaning for it ? like most of the ppl fold for like 1000 paper stars and gave it to their special person .. if so can u all pls tell me
thnks :)
waitt lol
i got it
hehe
Extra information:
30 stars = Thinking of you…
99 stars = Forever thinking of you…
100 stars = Full blessing from the heart…
520 stars = I love you…
1314 stars = Forever…
Dudo, I found an awesome place to get star paper! Its a little store called Tokyo. I’m a 5th grader who 2 days ago mastered the art of star folding. I don’t know why but its addictive!! I have to at least make one a day or else I’ll go nuts!!!!
Do u know how to make a puff up heart like the star.. i have seem it somewhere before but can’t find instruction
how do you do it!!!
A few tips:
1. When folding [ the repititive right/left steps xD ] make sure that the paper is aligned with the edges. Also, make sure you do it tight, but not too tight.
2. Like with all origami, sloppy jobs will result in failure TTATT So take your time!
3. If you mess up, you can always unfold it and do it again…
I had more but I forgot them orzlll
well i been making stars for 8 years now and i have to say i mastered making stars…the best stars to make are the pastel stars, they are thin and clear…popping them well that’s a whole different story, easy to pop but they’ll make your index and thumb fingers go numb but it’s worth it…
well anyways getting to the point, i was wondering if anyone knows any good sites that sale star jars. i looking for a special kind of jar, i have one but i need another. i bought the current one in cali and i don’t visit cali too often. the jar is lays horizontally and has two stars combined…it’s a rare jar to find…
thanks