Make merry
Add a circus twist to Christmas with playful tree ornaments made from paper straws
Colorful drinking straws make a fantastic craft material. Cut the straws into different lengths and pair them with folded paper and decorative beads. The result is spinner-like Christmas tree ornaments that sway cheerfully on the branches.
Paper straw ornaments—supplies:
- drinking straws (assorted colors and patterns)
- sturdy cotton thread and a long needle
- craft beads
- pretty craft papers and cardstock
- pom-poms
Paper straw ornaments—how-to:
- Cut the straws; the length depends on the design you're making. Note that the straws can be different lengths in different layers of the ornament.
- Cut and fold pretty papers and cardstock for the middle layers. If a single sheet feels too thin, glue two papers together with the wrong sides facing.
- Make a pleated middle layer like this: Take a strip of paper about 15 × 50 cm (6 × 20 in). Accordion-fold it. Fold the accordion in half at the center and glue the long edges together on both sides. This creates a disk-like middle piece for your ornament.
- Thread a long needle with sturdy cotton. Pass it through the straw pieces and paper layers, adding a bead at each junction. Make sure all the straws and beads within the same layer are the same size; otherwise the ornament will be lopsided.
- At the bottom, add a larger bead or a pom-pom to gather the threads coming from different directions.
- If you like, give the spinner a center line made from a bead strand or a combination of straws and beads.
- You can also decorate the spinner ornaments with yarn tassels and little bells.
- Dream up more designs and combine straws into fun Christmas tree ornaments any way you like!
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