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Crafts Holidays

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments

Make Your Own Paper Christmas Ornaments

When I made my paper pumpkins for fall a few weeks ago I really didn’t think they’d be shared thousands and thousands of times! After a few emails and some comments and questions from Girl Scout Leaders and Teachers, I thought I’d try a similar craft for the holidays. So, after a few trials, I perfected these DIY paper Christmas ornaments, which were inspired by the paper pumpkins.

I took the time and played around with width, length, and paper type. Finally, I think I found the right DIY formula. I ended up liking the metallic scrapbook paper the best. It’s sturdy and I think will store nicely without getting damaged. So, here is my detailed tutorial for the paper Christmas ornament sphere. I tried to take several pictures to make it easy to follow.

How to Make Them

Time: 20-30 minutes

Materials:

  • 12 X 12 piece Scrapbook Paper (one per ornament)
  • Paper Cutter
  • Tape
  • Hot Glue and Glue Gun
  • Twine
  • Ribbon
  • Scissors

Instructions:

Step 1: To maximize the use of paper, first cut 12” strips as follows:

  • 2- 1” strips
  • 4- 1.25” strips
  • 2- 1.5” strips

Paper Strips

Step 2: Step 3: Next, make the following cuts (see photo below):

  • The 2- 1” strips will stay the same at 1”X 12”
  • Next, the 2- 1.25” strips will each be cut into 2 – 8” strips
  • The 2- 1.5” strips will each be cut into 2 – 10” strips

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments Measurements

Step 4: Tape the corresponding strips together as shown below.

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments Scrapbook Paper

Step 5: Fold each strip like an accordion.

The folds aren’t exact and that’s fine. I would guess that the folds are about a half inch wide.

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments Accordion Medallions

Step 6: Use hot glue to glue the ends of each strip together.

Here is a top and side view.

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments with Glue

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments How To

Step 7: Next, bend the circle strip inward to form a medallion.

Add a drop of hot glue in the middle and hold the medallion together for a few seconds until the glue is dry.  Blowing helps!

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments Tutorial

Repeat this for each strip until you have five medallions.

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments Medallions

Step 8: After that, hot glue each layer together to form a sphere as shown.

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments Hot Glue

Step 9: Next, cut a piece of twine or ribbon and hot glue it to the top of the ornament for the hanger.

I find that hot glue works the best because it dries quickly.

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments Twine

Step 10: Lastly, Tie a ribbon bow around the top.

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments Ribbon

It seems like a lot of directions, but once you do it one time it’s a piece of cake after that! I hope you try these cute paper Christmas ornaments out!

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments DIY Inspired

In case you missed it, check out my similar tutorial for paper pumpkins. You can use the same tutorial for paper apples or paper oranges too!

You May Also Like

Like these paper Christmas ornaments? Here is a fun paper flower craft tutorial I have done in the past. Get the full tutorial here.

Have you visited me on YouTube? I have a ton of craft videos on there. I’d love for you to visit and subscribe! Thank you in advance for your support.

More fun Christmas Craft Ideas

Here are a few extra Christmas DIY ideas including some free printables I have available.

Free Printable Magic Santa Key
Handmade Holidays with Free Printable Gift Tags
5 Ways to Make Giant Candy for a Candyland Theme
Wood Burned Table Place Cards
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55 Comments

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Previous Post: « Handmade Holidays with Free Printable Gift Tags
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Comments

  1. T Berokoff says

    November 3, 2015 at 3:18 am

    How long was the piece of twine?
    And how long was the piece of ribbon you tied around the twine?

    Thanks! 😀

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      November 3, 2015 at 6:49 am

      Hi T! The twine is about 7″ long and the ribbon is 14″.

      Reply
  2. Nina says

    November 3, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    Were the accordian folds specific lengths ( every inch, half inch) or did you just randomly fold them?

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      November 3, 2015 at 8:16 pm

      Hi Nina! I randomly folded them, but I would guess about a half inch or slightly less. I hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Karen Evans says

        December 26, 2015 at 6:52 am

        I am thinking you can probably even prescore the piece of 12×12 cardstock before you cut to make folding easier later.

        Reply
        • Dinah Wulf says

          December 27, 2015 at 8:27 am

          Great idea, Karen! Thank you for stopping by!!

          Reply
  3. marie says

    November 8, 2015 at 8:16 pm

    I’ve got two questions. 1- Did you use metallic paper or cardstock? The paper looks pretty stiff, more like card. 2 – Did you mean to say 4 strips of 1.25 wide? The picture shows 4 8″ lengths glue together to make 2 16″ lengths. I want to get it right. Thanks! These are very cute.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      November 9, 2015 at 2:57 am

      Hi Marie! 1) Yes. It’s thick scrapbook paper, like a cardstock. These little things are sturdy! 2) YES! Thank you for catching that! I made the correction. Thank you so much! Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  4. Ms G says

    November 11, 2015 at 9:07 am

    Can’t get circles to stay flat and come apart when I glue sections together

    Reply
  5. bim says

    November 27, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    Is it possible to use ribbon, and paint the ribbon with Hodge podge afterwards to make the ornaments stiff. These are so cute.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      November 28, 2015 at 6:17 am

      Hi there! Actually, use card stock (or thick scrapbook paper). They are very sturdy that way. Thank you for stopping by!

      Reply
  6. Cindy says

    December 2, 2015 at 1:26 am

    No matter what I do, I cannot get the accordion circle to bend inwards to make a medallion. I need to know (see) how you do that. Help!

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      December 2, 2015 at 8:00 am

      Hi Cindy! So sorry you are having trouble! The easiest way is to make sure the strips are the right length. Any shorter than indicated, makes this step really hard. Also, make sure the ends of the strips are securely taped together. Once you check these two things, gently use two hands and press down to form the medallion. Once your have it down, try to hold the medallion with one hand and use the other hand to drop a dab of hot glue in the center. Put down the gun, and hold the medallion together for a few seconds (15) until the hot glue dries. I hope this helps!! Let me know!

      Reply
      • Pam A. says

        November 20, 2020 at 8:11 pm

        I’m still not getting it. How do you get the medallion shape?

        Reply
        • Dinah Wulf says

          November 21, 2020 at 6:46 am

          Once you get the pleated circle, lay it flat and push it together to make the medallion. Use a dab of hot glue in the center to hold it together.

          Reply
  7. Shirley says

    December 2, 2015 at 11:28 am

    You are so talented.
    Question: Can you could make some cute little Christmas trees using the folding paper and just change the sizes? I would love to see that. I want to put them along a string and hang over the fireplace. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      December 2, 2015 at 12:27 pm

      Yes! Great idea, Shirley! My guess on measurements would be: 1X10″, 1X12″, 1.25X16″, 1.5X20″, 1.5X24″.

      Reply
  8. Cardstock Shop says

    December 9, 2015 at 11:02 am

    Great article and photos! We are sharing on our Facebook page today. Hope that is ok! TFS, Susan

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      December 9, 2015 at 11:25 am

      Great news! Thank you. I’ll be sure to stop by!

      Reply
  9. Lisa Parker says

    December 17, 2015 at 3:44 am

    I would use card stock with a pattern on both sides, then you wouldn’t see the white paper underneath on the ornament.

    Reply
  10. Joyce says

    December 20, 2015 at 4:35 am

    What wonderful ideas you have. I am going to try the ornament design shortly.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      December 21, 2015 at 7:22 am

      Great! Thank you so much, Joyce! Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  11. Pam says

    December 23, 2015 at 5:27 pm

    Great idea. We are using it for our annual Christmas craft day. Unfortunately, when I printed it printed all the comments as well and I couldn’t get it to stop. Huge waste of paper. Is there a way to exclude the comments and ads from printing?

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      December 23, 2015 at 6:34 pm

      Hi Pam! First of all, I’m honored that you are using this as your craft! There is a better way to print. At the bottom of the post, right above my bio you will see some small round share icons. Click the last one (green). A menu will pop up. Choose “printfriendly”. You will see the printer friendly version. If you scroll down and move your curser over the extra links and bio at the bottom, you can delete those before you print, saving even more ink. I hope this helps! Have a very Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  12. Beveely says

    January 28, 2016 at 1:28 pm

    Love them

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      January 28, 2016 at 2:31 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  13. Elize says

    November 7, 2016 at 7:50 am

    These paper ornaments are so lovely. Thank you so much for sharing with us. I hope I can manage to make some this year. If you wish add some sparkle sprinkles on the edges after folding, they will not go unnoticed. Just a thought. I am also thinking how about just a drop of oils like cinnamon/cloves/star anise, it will also fragrance the room. This is what life is all about, sharing, suggestions and appreciation. Love….

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      November 7, 2016 at 8:05 am

      That is a GREAT idea! Thank you for stopping by, Elize!

      Reply
  14. Faye says

    November 15, 2016 at 1:09 pm

    Terrific idea. Thank you…I was looking at the edges of the paper that shows white and thought it might look nice if that match paper or had an accent. Things like you can add glitter to the edges, decorative small diameter rope you know found in the ribbon section and the last thought I had was taking a green, red , silver or gold maker and coloring the edge.. Thank you again.. Faye

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      November 15, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      Thank YOU, Faye! Those are great ideas. Glitter would be really pretty.

      Reply
  15. Shirley says

    November 20, 2016 at 8:10 pm

    Thank you for the shared DIY Paper Christmas decorations. It looks easy to make.i will try it for the new look of my Christmas tree.

    Reply
  16. Susan says

    December 10, 2016 at 8:56 am

    Very cute idea…. but a question. Why is it that you cut the strips in the middle, and then tape them back together again? (Haven’t tried this yet, so I’m not seeing the point.)

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      December 11, 2016 at 8:48 pm

      Thanks, Susan! Thank you so much! You have to cut the strips because scrapbook paper is only 12 inches long. Does that make sense?

      Reply
  17. Lisa says

    December 14, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    Dinah,
    I think you did a great job with the tutorial – pictures and written instructions are so easy to read. I have so much card stock on hand and can’t wait to use it up making ornaments. Thanks so much for sharing. Happy Holidays to you. Lisa

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      December 15, 2016 at 8:24 am

      Thank you so much, Lisa! I hope you enjoy making some. Happy holidays to you and your family as well!

      Reply
  18. shikira says

    October 10, 2017 at 10:08 am

    Thanks for the tutorial, yet got stuck on step 4. ‘Tape the corresponding strips together as shown below’, cannot see what is being stuck to what?. Having a good go at making the amazingly beautiful Acorn-like decorations so am hoping they turn out okay and upload a picture on pinterest once done. Have no glue gun so have used PVA glue throughout the process!. Am most grateful to you for the effort you have put into tutorial.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      October 10, 2017 at 12:51 pm

      Hi Shikira! In the photo above step four, tape the two like strips together so that you have longer strips. The photo below the text shows what it will look like after you tape them together. Let me know if you still need help or it is unclear. I’m here to help!

      Reply
  19. Angie Smith says

    January 9, 2018 at 6:42 am

    Great project,
    Do you think that using old Christmas cards would be to stiff. I would have to tape several together to get the desired length.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      January 10, 2018 at 8:14 am

      Hmmm… the card stock I used here in this post was pretty thick. I think it may work! Let me know!

      Reply
  20. Janet says

    March 9, 2018 at 5:43 pm

    I’m terrible at learning from pictures. To me there always seems to be a step missing. I can’t get the folded paper to become a medallion. Someone please consider doing a video and then linking it from here. Even if it’s just a blog visiter, asking permission first, and then each can link to the other, if permission is given.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      March 12, 2018 at 8:17 am

      Hi Janet! I have had email requests for a video. You are not the only one! I plan on doing one in the near future.

      Reply
  21. Barbara D Blanchard says

    June 28, 2018 at 4:41 pm

    Is there away any way that I can print the directions.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      June 28, 2018 at 9:55 pm

      Hi Barbara! Yes, click the green icon (last icon next to the social share icons on the top or bottom of the post) and then click “printer friendly”.

      Reply
  22. Stephanie Skeens says

    October 27, 2018 at 6:11 pm

    Hi, I love this craft but I can’t keep my medallions from popping outward after gluing and holding. Help!!!

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      October 31, 2018 at 9:52 am

      Hi Stephanie! Hot glue works the best because it dries quickly. If not, maybe try a small binder clip to hold them closed until they dry.

      Reply
  23. Louann says

    November 15, 2018 at 7:26 am

    Thanks for sharing such great instructions

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      November 15, 2018 at 8:28 am

      Your welcome, Louann! So glad you like it!

      Reply
  24. Margaret LaCava says

    December 6, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    I did not read all the reply’s, not sure if someone tried this. But I tried it with double sided cardstock, and it looks so much better.

    Reply
  25. Renee says

    December 25, 2018 at 2:27 pm

    Do you have a pattern for a folded accordian star?

    Reply
  26. Ashely Jenkins says

    December 8, 2019 at 2:53 pm

    my first try worked but looked pretty sloppy. but i will try again and hopefully get better results!!

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      December 9, 2019 at 11:23 am

      Good luck! Let me know how I can help!

      Reply
  27. Sandra Kelly says

    August 6, 2020 at 7:08 am

    I always make ornaments to give to my clients. I think I am going to use this ornament as the gift this year (I usually make about 100 to give out). I will let you know how they turn out. thank you for the idea.

    Skellybold Creations

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      August 6, 2020 at 8:35 am

      Wonderful, Sandra! Can’t wait to here.

      Reply
  28. Elaine says

    November 29, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    I always make a different ornament for a lady in our church and this one is the one I chose. It is pretty easy to make once I could figure out how to do step 7. I played with it awhile and once I found out how to get it in the right shape – it was easy. Thanks for the beautiful pattern.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      November 30, 2020 at 5:47 am

      Wonderful! Thank you, Elaine!

      Reply

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