STARS can be a great addition to anything from a scrapbook page to home decor. They are gender neutral, which makes them so versatile. They are also a symbol of the United States and a staple of Americana. I have a set of red, white and blue stars that I use as decor year round, but since it's almost JULY I decided to put them in an area of my house where I spend a lot of time - the kitchen.
This set of stars may look like the tin/metal variety that you see in stores, but they are actually made from paper. I know! It's really hard to tell, even in person, until you hold one in your hand. Today I'll share a quick tutorial so that you can make a set of stars for yourself or to give as a gift.
To start, you'll need some heavy weight paper. For this set I used white tag board, which you can find at a craft store or office supply store. You could also use card stock, but regular typing paper is not heavy enough.
Next you'll need a star shape that you can trace. If you have a Cricut or some other type of die cutting machine you could use that to cut out star shapes. Another option would be to search the internet for free clipart of a star shape, print it and cut it out to use as a template. My set contains three different sizes of stars, but you can make them all the same size if you prefer.
Once you have the shapes cut out use a ruler or straight edge draw a line from each point to the middle of the star. Then fold along each line, so that you have a nice crease from the middle of each point to the middle of the star. If you used heavy weight paper you'll find that the star quickly takes shape once you start making the folds. You'll also want to fold between each point to make the five pointed sections stand out.
Once you have the folding done use some craft paint to paint the front side of each star. Craft paint dries quickly and covers well on the heavy weight paper. I chose red, white and blue but you could use others colors if you want the stars to match a specific area in your home.
The final step is to use black paint to create the look of aged metal. I found that it worked best to use my finger to apply the black paint along each crease, but you could also use a foam brush. You can add as much black paint as you'd like, not only on the creases but across the entire surface. I started by adding a small amount of paint, but quickly decided that adding more paint gave me the look I wanted.
And that's it! It's a fun and easy project and would be a great afternoon activity to do with kids.