1. Have your stick glue and paper clips ready...

2. Place 3 strips of paper vertically on the table before you. Weave the first horizontal strip over the right strip, under the middle strip and over the left strip. Make sure this strip is in the exact center. Also, leave about a 3 millimeter gap between the strips. It is important for the appearance that the strip distance is accurate. Glue this strip in place.

3. Now weave a strip under the first center strip, also leaving a 3 millmeter gap to the strip above it (the center horizonal one). This time, weave the strip under the right vertical strip, then over the middle vertical strip and then under the left vertical strip. Glue it in place.

4. Now for the last strip... place it over the center strip and weave it just like you did the one in step 3. Glue the strip in place. Let the glue dry a little before continuing.

5. Turn the paper so that it looks like an x in front of you. Turn the top right (vertical) strip to the back so that the backside of it is facing you. At the same time, turn the top left (horizontal) strip also towards the vertical strip and glue its front side to the (visible) backside of the vertical strip. See the picture for guidance.

6. You may want or need to use paper clips to hold the strips together while the glue is drying. Turn the x clockwise so that the next two strips are on top and repeat using the same procedure as in step 5. Repeat two more times.

7. Now your star should be looking like this.

8. It is time for the backside. This particular star uses 2 different papers which helps in this tutorial to differentiate between the front side and the back side. You can of course use one color for your star.

9. With the remaining 6 strips repeat steps 1-7 again. You will then have 2 halves that are ready to be put together.

10. Place the 2 halves over each other with the rounded (curved) sides to the inside and each of the loops are positioned over a strip from the other half. Paper clip these in place for the moment to hold the star together.

11. Adjust your paper strips if necessary so that the opposite curves are taut and a little buckling.

12. Make sure that the point of the curve is also centered over the strip.

13. One by one, glue the strips in place and hold together with paper clips.

14. Once the glue is dry, you can remove the paper clips and cut away the excess strip pieces underneath the curved point. Use the curved point as a cutting guide.

15. This is how the finished star looks.

It's here. Did you notice? Spring has arrived. And while the flowers have yet to show their pretty faces, their time is oh so close at hand. But I'm terribly impatient. So I'm giving them a little nudge... Are you with me? Come here. Cut up some of these...

Make some of these... hee hee...

Glue a half dozen of them together to make these...

And hang them everywhere like this...

The garden varieties will follow suit in no time, I betcha.

Folding a Paper Lily

This post is dedicated to Melissa and David... who have just brought home their own precious Lily. I can't wait to meet her!

Lilies are one of my favourite symbols of Spring. While the real deal are gorgeous, this paper version offers a unique flair in every colour of the rainbow. Just pick the perfect paper to suit your style, decor, or even your mood.

Here's the how to... {Get ready for a lot of pictures}

Start with a square piece of paper.

{scrapbook paper works great} Fold corner to corner to form a triangle.

Fold corner to corner again, forming a smaller triangle.

Lift up the top fold (fig.1).

Push down towards the table surface(fig.2), creasing the edges (fig.3).

Flip over...

...and do the same to this side. You should end up with a square (fig.3).

Lift up one of the folds.

Open it up.

Once again, push the fold down towards the table, creasing the edges (fig.1). This makes a kite shape (fig.2). Fold in the corners (fig.3) to create a diamond shape (fig.4).

Unfold those same corners and lift up at the centre.

Tuck in the sides (fig.1). Fold the top triangle shape up (fig.2) and then back (fig.3).

Repeat on the other 3 sides.

It should look something like this...

Turn to one of the flat sides.

Fold in each side towards the middle.

Repeat on the other 3 sides.

It should look something like this...

Roll the tips around a pen or pencil.

Ta da!
You should now have yourself a paper lily. If you don't, try watching this video. Sometimes I like to stack 2 lilies together {sometimes 3 if I'm really ambitious}. And I think they look lovely with my previous Scrappy Sparrow project.

Oliver sure does like this white one...

...and he's saving it...