DIY ORIGAMI STAR MINI TREE GARLAND.

The final countdown to Christmas has begun and I've got one last craft project to share with you. I picked up this adorable mini Christmas tree at my local supermarket and although it's actually covered in silver glitter I thought it looked a little bare. These origami lucky stars are the perfect solution. I used them as tiny tree toppers last year when I made these diy paper Christmas trees and this time I thought I'd string them up and use them to create a mini paper star garland. If you're still looking for some last minute decorations to deck your halls decorating some mini trees might be the answer, they'll make your home festive and bright in no time at all.

And make sure to check out the rest of my Christmas Origami projects.

To make the origami star:

1. Start by cutting up some strips of paper. If you want mini stars cut the paper into 12 x ½ inch strips.

2. Tie a loose knot in one end of the paper strip.

3. Pull it gently and press flat to make a pentagon.

4. Tuck the short end of the paper strip into the knot.

5. Wrap the long end around each side of your pentagon. It should naturally follow in the right direction. Keep going until you have a small tail piece left. Tuck the tail end securely into the knot.

6. Pinch each corner of the pentagon between your thumb and forefinger to make the star puff up. 

7. Thread the finished stars onto some cotton or embroidery thread and wrap around your mini Christmas tree. 

Super simple to make as all last minute decorations should be and the fact that they're cute as a button doesn't hurt either.

Make sure to check my other Christmas crafts and recipes for more diys.

DIY ORIGAMI DIAMOND DECORATIONS.

I first stumbled across these origami diamond decorations on How About Orange around 3 years ago and instantly fell in love with them. I've been noticing more and more origami ornaments popping up in the shops so I thought it was about time I go back and try making my own. I love how they've turned out. They're surprisingly sturdy and would look fantastic hanging on a Christmas tree.

Depending on the paper you choose you could hang these decorations all year round. I made mine using the last of pages from this sticker book which is now sadly out of stock. I bought a couple as gifts for people and wish I'd bought a couple more to keep for myself. The paper is far too pretty not to want to use it in every single future paper project, don't you think?

And make sure to check out the rest of my Christmas Origami projects.

1. Start with your paper facing pattern side up.

2. Fold in half along both diagonals.

3. Flip the paper over and fold in half along the horizontal and vertical lines.

4. Pinch together at the center and collapse down to make a triangle.

5. Make sure the open end is at the top and fold both sides in to meet at the center. Flip it over and repeat on the other side to make a diamond shape.

6. Cut away the small triangles at the top.

7. Make sure the open end is now at the bottom. Fold out one of the sides and open it out. Flatten it out towards the opposite side. It should now outwards instead of inwards. Repeat on the remaining 3 sides to make concertina.

8. Fold the bottom corners in to meet at the center.

9. Open the corners back out.

8. Open the paper back out and fold all the corners in and under.

9. Repeat steps 1-8 to make the 2nd half of your origami diamond.

10. Apply glue or repositionable double sided tape to each of the corners and stick the 2 halves together.

This is the tricky part so be patient. Start by lining up one corner and slowly work your way around. The repositionable tape did make it easier to line up all the sides and re-do them where they didnlt match up but I think a glue stick would've work just as well.

11. Thread some cotton through the top and hang or display in a bowl on your coffee table.

Ah, I'm so in love. I think they'd add a lovely, modern touch to any tree but I've left mine sitting on top of the fireplace for now.

DIY ORIGAMI BOX ADVENT CALENDAR.

It's that time of year again. Time to start thinking about counting down to Christmas and what better way is there to countdown than with this DIY origami box advent calendar.

Normally I end up with one of those store-bought chocolate filled calendars but last year my Mum made me one complete with glittery snow scene. I loved having a homemade advent calendar so this year I decided to step up my game and make one as well.

And make sure to check out the rest of my Christmas Origami projects.

Do you remember my easy origami gift boxes? Well, I decided smaller versions would be perfect for holding some chocolate coins.

Each finished box measures 2x2 inches square and is 1 inch high so if you don't want to use chocolate coins they're still big enough to hold a small gift or treat. To make each box you need a piece of paper measuring 6x6 inches for the lid and a piece measuring 5.5x.5.5 inches for the base. If you're using scrapbook paper like I did you can get 2 out of each 12x12 piece with only minimal waste. I used the American Crafts Maggie Holmes 12 x 12 Paper Pad.

You can find a full tutorial for how I made the origami boxes here.

I filled each box with a couple of chocolate coins and decorated them using stickers and bakers twine.

I didn't have any number stickers so I wrote the numbers 1-24 on the bottom of the origami boxes using a gold gel pen.

Once decorated all you need to do is arrange the boxes in a Christmas tree shape. I used yellow patterned paper with a silver star sticker for the tree topper. You can leave your boxes as they are but if you're short on space you can glue the back of each box to a piece of card so you can stand your advent up instead.

Make sure to check my other Christmas crafts and recipes for more diys.