Do Lit Yourself: Magazine* page ornaments

* When we started this DIY column ages ago, we resolved we’d never cut up a book to make a craft. That position has changed, a little. There are a lot of unloved old books in thrift stores destined for a landfill that could be repurposed and re-loved. But we didn’t want to be the ones to start the revolution, so we’ve used magazine pages instead.

(For the record, magazines are also worth keeping – we love magazines! But if you’re clearing out your stash of back issues to make room for new ones, here’s a craft you can do instead of putting them in the recycling.)

What you’ll need

A magazine (destined for the recycling, only!), ideally 8.5” x 11” format
Glue stick
Scissors
Hole punch
String / ribbon

Materials for this craft, laid out on a wood table. Pages from a magazine, a pair of scissors, and a glue stick.

Directions

Step 1

Cut five pages out of your magazine, and then cut them in half, forming 10 little sheets that are approx. 5.5 x 8.5” (depending on the size of your magazine).

Step 2

Fold each sheet into thirds, lengthwise (tucking in the irregular edge), and then in half, bringing the short sides together. (Tip: play around with your pages – maybe you’re going for a text look, or maybe you want lots of colour. Fold accordingly so the best side for your ornament shows.) You should have 10 folded pieces.

Step 3

In the middle of each folded piece, run a stripe of glue from the glue stick, then stick the two halves together. Stick the glued pieces under a heavy book to press them while you work on the rest.

Step 4

Next, take two glued, folded pieces. Run another stripe of glue from the glue stick on one piece, and stick the second piece to it, so that the short and long folded edges are together. Continue in this way, adding each piece to the stack of pieces you are making, until all of them are glued together. Sit it back under the heavy book for five minutes or so to let the glue set.

Step 5

Holding the dried stack of pieces together, cut the corners on the non-folded edge, forming a triangle shape (depending on the strength and sharpness of your scissors, you might want to do this a few pieces at a time during step 4, instead.)

Step 6

Run a stripe of glue down the centre of an exposed side, and then slowly open and unfurl your ornament to stick it to the opposite side. Hold these stuck edges together between your fingers for a few moments while the glue dries.

Step 7

Use the hole punch to punch into one of the “points” of the star you’ve made, and run the string through it to form a loop, tying the ends.

Step 8

Hang your ornament, and enjoy!

Other uses for star ornaments:

Dip-paint or tea-dye the pages before folding.
Cut the centre open slightly so that you have a decorative collar for taper candles (of course, paper and candles together should be extremely carefully observed and not left unattended!)
Make a bunch and glue them onto a wreath form for your front door.
Instead of tying a string on top, thread a few mini-versions together with beads to make a garland.