Today’s project is one of my very favorite handmade Christmas ornaments! They only require a few supplies that I’m sure you already have in your home, and they only take about ten minutes to put together. Plus they are incredibly versatile; you can make them out of paper in any pattern or color, and you can make them in any shape. You could decorate your entire tree with just these ornaments, and you still wouldn’t have to make two of the same!
DIY Folded Paper Christmas Ornaments
Here’s what you need to make these ornaments:
- scrapbook paper in a fun pattern or color
- scissors
- glue stick
- string to hang the ornament (or yarn, or baker’s twine, or thread…)
Start by cutting out your ornament shape. You will need about 6 to 12 pieces in the same shape, depending on how “full” you want your finished ornament to be. (The red ornament above was made with 6 pieces, the green ornament below was made with 10 pieces.)
I used my Cameo to cut the shapes out to make sure they were all exactly the same size, but scissors will work great if you don’t have a cutting machine.
After your pieces are cut out, fold them all in half, printed side in. Cut a piece of string or baker’s twine about 8 inches long and set it aside.
Then run a glue stick over the face-up half of one folded piece and stack a second folded piece on top of it. Then do it again and add a third folded piece to the pile. Repeat until about half of your folded pieces are in the stack.
Now you’re going to glue in the string. Run a glue stick over the top piece on the stack, just like before, except this time put one end of your string on the stack before adding the next piece. Leave the long end of the string trailing out of the top of the ornament.
Continue gluing and stacking folded pieces of paper until all of your pieces are stacked in one giant pile with your string trailing out of the top.
Once the glue is dry, open up your folded ornament into a circle. Put the other end of the string between the two final pieces and glue them together. And voila, folded paper Christmas ornament!
Give the glue a minute or two to dry, and then go hang it on your tree!
Want even more Christmas ornament tutorials?!
If you love Christmas and crafting, then my book 12 Easy Handmade Christmas Ornaments is the book for you! It’s a collection of 12 easy-to-follow tutorials for handmade Christmas ornaments that are the perfect addition to any Christmas tree! No experience necessary; just follow the simple step-by-step directions, and check out the photos along with each step if you need additional guidance!
Grab a copy today and get ready to craft this holiday season!
If you’re looking for a few other Christmas crafts, check out these tutorials!
- DIY Snow Globe Christmas Ornament
- DIY Silver Pine Cone Wreath
- DIY Printed Fabric Gift Tags
- DIY Paper Curl Ornament
- DIY Christmas Pet Collars
- How To Display Holiday Cards
- Paper Envelope Advent Calendar
Tristen says
Do you have a pattern for these, as I do not have a cutting machine?
Jessi Wohlwend says
I don’t have any specific pattern, sorry! You can just pick any fun bulb ornament shape you want! When I made these I just did an image search for “ornament silhouette”, found a shape that I liked, and used that as a template.
Betsy @ Romance on a Dime says
Wow – so simple and easy! Thanks for linking up for Take is on Tuesdays!!
Inspire Me Heather says
Your ornaments are so sweet and they look so easy to make (yay!) and I’ve given them a little mention in my paper ornaments post too today – Happy Holidays!
Jessi Wohlwend says
Thanks for the shout out!
Ursula says
Hi! I just love these ornaments and how simple they are to make! I’m all about simple but with a big impact 😉
I’m visiting from The Blissful bee linky 😉
come visit me 😉
Ursula at kraft&mint {modern crafts}
http://kraftmint.com
Vanessa says
Absolutely beautiful and love that I don’t have to worry about shattered glass if the kids get ahold of these ornaments!
Jessi Wohlwend says
That’s totally why I made these! Not because of kids, but because our kitties like to climb into our Christmas tree and play around in there… 🙂
Jocie@OPC The Better Half says
really cute and love the paper you used!
Gwen says
Those are so pretty, Jessi! Do you love your Cameo?
Jessi Wohlwend says
Totally love it! Definitely my favorite crafting tool!
Corey @ Tinysidekick says
I love these! I’m always looking for fun ways to use paper because I love all of the patterns and colors that can be used. Pinning!
Courtenay says
Yup. Now I REALLY need a cutting machine! These ornaments are great and they’d look a.maz.ing. all over a tree!
Kristen says
They are so pretty! I love them 🙂 I would definitely pay $ for them if I saw them in a store.