DIY Folded Paper Ball Ornament
These folded paper ornaments are super cute and a lot of fun to make! Older kids, tweens, teens, adults, and seniors will all enjoy making a folded paper ball ornament for Christmas using recycled greeting cards or their favourite colours of paper.
Yield: 1 3D paper ball ornament
Cost: $1
Equipment
- Small bowl (or other circle to trace)
Instructions
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Cut and fold the ornament pieces
- Gather 4 colours of paper to make your ornament.We recommend printer paper or wrapping paper -- either patterned or not. Cardstock is harder to fold neatly.
- Trace 21 circles and cut them out. You'll want to do 5 of each colour, plus 1 extra.
- Fold this extra circle in half, from right to left.
- Then fold in half again, from bottom to top.
- Open up the circle so you can see 4 quadrants of the circle marked with lines. Fold the bottom of the circle up so it touches the middle (the intersection of the lines).
- Now fold the right part into the center. You'll want the edge of the circle to touch the middle as it also lines up with the flat bottom fold.
- Repeat on the left side, creating a triangle shape.
- Open the folds and cut out the triangle. This will be the template for folding your other circles.
- Set the template down on top of another circle, lining up the corners with the edges of the circle.
- Fold the circle around the edges of the triangle. This will give you the shape needed to make your ornament.
- Repeat, folding the rest of the circles.
Step 3: Make the cap sections of the ornament
- Place a circle down with the top of the triangle facing up. Fold the right edge into the circle and add glue tape to the fold.
- Connect a circle of a different colour into the glue tape, lining up the edges as best you can.
- Connect another 2 circles, working along the right edge every time. Once 4 pieces are connected, add glue tape to both the outside folds.
- Place another circle in-between these pieces, connecting the edges on both sides and creating a dome-like shape to cap off the ornament.
- Repeat, making another cap from 5 circle pieces.
Step 4: Make the center band of the ornament
- To connect the caps of the ornament you'll glue the remaining 10 pieces together in a line.Place the first circle with the top of the triangle pointed down. Add glue tape to the right fold.
- Add another circle to the glue tape, with the triangle pointing up.
- Glue the rest of the circles together in this "down, up" pattern.
Step 5: Put the ornament together and add a hanger
- Fold the top and bottom folds in on the band. Add glue tape to each flap.
- Attach one of the band pieces to the bottom of a fold on one of the domes.
- Repeat around, so the entire bottom is connected, and then glue tape the two ends of the band together.
- Cut an 8 inch piece of colourful baker's twine and tie it into an ornament hanger.
- Flip the ornament over and set the hanger in-between 2 circles on the band.We didn't do it here, but we highly recommend securing the knot of the hanger with a dot of hot glue or tacky glue.
- Attach the other dome into the glue tape on this side of the band.
- Your folded paper ball ornament is complete!
- Have fun making these ornaments in all different sizes! (Read more details about this below.)
Video
Notes
Looking for more easy Christmas crafts? Here's a few of our favourites:
Paper Straw Stars
Milk Carton Gingerbread House
Pasta Christmas Tree