Paper Evergreens

These paper trees are as pretty as origami versions but easier to make. Tools and Materials * Adjustable circle cutter * Green card stock, from paperpresentation.com * Bone Folder * Scissors * Wooden skewers * Hot-glue gun * 1 1/8-inch (for small trees) and 1 15/16-inch (for large trees) wooden spools, by Woodworks, from craftparts.com * Gold beads, from tohoshoji-ny.com

Step 1 For large Christmas trees, use an adjustable circle cutter to make 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6inch-diameter circles from green card stock (for small trees, omit the 6-inch circle). Step 2 Fold each circle in half 4 times with a bone folder. While circles are folded, snip off the tip of each piece, forming a very small hole in center. Step 3 Place smallest circle on the pointed end of a wooden skewer (we used 12-inch skewers), letting the tip poke through the hole in circle. With a hot-glue gun, dab underside of circle, where paper and skewer meet. Hold for 10 seconds to secure.

Step 4 Working 1 at a time from smallest circle to largest, slide remaining circles onto skewer; secure with glue. Step 5 Insert bottom of skewer into a spool; remove, and cut skewer to desired height (we cut ours to 6, 9, and 10 inches), keeping in mind that only spool should be visible beneath standing tree. Return skewer to spool; secure with glue. Add a dot of glue to top of skewer, and attach a gold bead.

Additional information on lengths and star sizes is given after these instructions below. Folding strips as shown in B below will make the ends more even in step G, which is useful if the strips are shorter than 24 times their width. Information on buying strips and completed stars is given at the bottom of this page. A: Take 4 strips together and trim each end. (The lengths of the cuts should be about twice the width of the strips.) B: With the 4 strips together, fold one end up to the other end, about two strip widths from the end.

C: Make a basket weave, using the 4 strips with the long ends on top. (Place the first along the bottom horizontally with the fold on the right. Place the second one vertically with the fold at the bottom, placing both ends of the first between the ends of the second strip. Place the third one horizontally with the fold on the left, placing both ends of the second between the ends of the third strip. Place the fourth one vertically with the fold on the top, placing both ends of the third between the ends of the fourth strip and placing both ends op the fourth strip between the ends of the first.)

D: Pull ends to form a close basket weave.

A second basket weave is needed over this first one. Each of the long strips on top will be used to form the second weave.

E: Pull one top strip down. Press. Take one strip on left and fold over to right. Press (shown folded over in F). Take one strip below right and fold up. Press (shown folded up in F).

F: Take one strip, upper right, fold to left but weave under upper strip, forming your second basket weave. Press.

G: Second weave finished. (H, I, J, K, and L (pressing the strip in L up) will be followed for each of 4 strips on one side of the square basket weave, M, and for each of the remaining 4 strips on the other side, shown finally in N.) To begin step H, pick up the strips and hold in one hand. The rest of the steps will be done holding the star. H: Fold top right strip to back and to the right and press.

I: Fold same strip down and press. J: Fold same strip right part over left part forming triangle at top and press.

K: Take the bottom of strip shown in J between 1 st finger and thumb with thumb on top. The top of the strip remains facing up from J through L. Push the top triangle back slightly (with middle finger or thumb of other hand) as shown in K as you slide strip

under top right section of basket weave. Pull down as shown in L, then fold straight up where the strip leaves the basket weave. Turn the work one-forth counter-clockwise and on upper right strip, repeat H through L. Turn again one-forth turn counter-clockwise and on upper right strip, repeat H through L. Turn again one-forth turn counter-clockwise and on upper right strip, repeat H through L.

M: This is what it looks like now. Turn over and repeat H through L for the 4 strips on the other side. N: This is what it looks like now.

( N, O, and P will be repeated for the 4 strips on each side.) N: Take strip, identified in picture with an arrow on top, and leaving top side up, turn the 'arrow' counterclockwise three-fourths of a turn and insert into upper left corner of basket weave and under strip sticking up, O. Pull out of triangle, P, enough to make a 3-D point. Pulling to easy will make point loose and pulling to hard will collapse it. From practice, pull just right! Turn work one-fourth counter-clockwise and repeat N, O, and P (this is shown in Q). Turn work one-fourth counter-clockwise and repeat N, O, and P. Turn work one-fourth counter-clockwise and repeat N, O, and P. Turn over and repeat steps N, O, and P for the four strips on other side.

R: What it looks like now.

S: Trim the 8 strips sticking out of the 8 flat triangles. (You may wish to trim alternating strips on one side that are convenient, then turn over and trim remaining strips.)

Finished stars are shown below.

When strips 1, 2, 3, and 4 as numbered in D above are of different colors, the results are shown on the right. The left star was made of colors 1=yellow, 2=yellow, 3=green, and 4=green. The middle star was made of colors .

1=gold, 2=blue, 3=gold, and 4=blue. The right star was made of colors 1=yellow, 2=gold, 3=green, and 4=blue.

The size of the stars along an edge from tip to tip is 4 times the width of the strips. (The basket weave is two times the strip width and each triangle is the width of a strip.) Strips that are 17 inches by 1/2 inches will produce stars that are 2 inches along the edge. Strips that are 17 inches by 3/4 inches will produce stars that are 3 inches along the edge. Strips that are 24 inches by 1 inch will produce stars that are 4 inches along the edge. (If you want 4 inch stars and do not have 24 inch strips, you can take two 17 inch by 1 inch strips and tape on both sides to form one long 34 inch strip, fold it at the break where it is taped and use these already folded strips). Generally, strips should be at least 24 times their width. For 3/4 inch strips, the 17 inch lengths work because of the way they are folded as in B. (If strips are 24 times their width, then you can just fold them in half if you wish for step B above.)We made a small tool that is used occasionally when a strip will not go through in steps O and P above. Cut a 2 inch tool in the shape as shown in the top of the picture on the left (the dark blue trapezoid). Cut the tool from card stock or preferably a playing card. Insert this tool through the flat point and then insert the strip under the tool. Then try to slide them both out together. Sometimes these stars are dipped in wax, but one must know how to work safely with wax since the wax can burst into flame when it becomes hot.