December 5, 2014

This tutorial walks through how to create a slotted ball out of a sheet of paper. As another design on a budget item, we used free materials for this craft. Anyone can do it with a pair of scissors and some newspaper. If you want to step it up a notch, you could use some pretty craft paper, the pages of  a book, or a lightweight vinyl or other plastic. It might even be super cute in felt. However, for the purposes of our $25 rustic glam Christmas tree theme, this is a freebie from those throw-away ad newspapers that everyone gets in the mail. It’s a great homemade Christmas ornament supplement.

3d paper ball cover photo

You need:

– Scissors

– a packet of newspaper ads

– a pen to create a cutting outline

-(optional) a stiff tab divider to make a stencil from to make sure all of your cuts are the same.

Step 1: create a stencil like the following.

It is like a star or flower, with the same hook shape completing each point. I used a stiff tab divider that I had lying around. You could really use anything. cardboard would be good too.

trace

tab divider

Step 2: Cut out your stencil, and trace it on to a stack of newsprint. Cut the newsprint in to 12 shapes.

If you choose a stack of newsprint that has at least 12 layers, you will only have to trace your shape once. You can then cut one time and get all 12 layers. The type of newsprint I used is super thin and very easy to manage this way. If your material isn’t, you may need to stencil and cut a few.

newspapers

cut out newspaper

cut outs

Step 3: take 3 stars, and join them together.

Each star has a little piece cut in to the rounded edge. These interlock quite nicely, reminiscent of a few children’s construction toys I grew up with.

step one

You can interlock 3 of them together like so:

second step

Step 4: Repeat similar process until the ball is closed! It is easy to see how it goes together once you’re doing it.

Here’s a halfway shot

half balls

And then a completed one!

3d paper ball

If you make a couple of these, you can punch an ornament hangar through one of the intersecting slots and hang them on your tree for some spice. You could also use a higher quality paper and put them in a bowl for a pretty centerpiece at any time of the year. These are just all-around cool crafts.

Now this is part of the $25 Christmas tree, which we are excited to reveal in it’s entirety tomorrow!

See the other pieces which will come together for a fantastic glamorous rustic tree, decorated for under $24

salt dough star garland cover image

COVER 5 MINUTE GLITTER PINECONES

clothespin star on tree

cover image

I look forward to the rest of the 12 Days of DIY as well:

12 Days of DIY 2014

 

 

Check out the 2013 12 Days of DIY:

Rosemary Peppermint Sugar Scrub

3 Quick Cinnamon Stick Decorations

Cork Firestarters

Glass Ornaments

Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments

Paper Scrap Trees

Peppermint Bark

How to Make a Snowflake

Christmas Scent and Hot Toddies

Tissue Paper Pom Poms

Printable Candle Wraps

Tomato Cage Christmas Tree

 

Published December 5, 2014 | By