Swedish stars are a traditional Christmas tree ornament in Sweden. Although the Swedish Christmas season begins celebrations with Saint Lucia celebrations on December 13th most Swedes do not put up their Christmas trees until two days before Christmas. Swedish stars can be made at any time and used for a variety of reasons. They make excellent decorations for birthdays and other celebrations. Making the first star is the most time consuming, but after learning the idea the stars are made very quickly.
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Things You'll Need
Scissors
Ribbon
Begin the Star
Step 1
Cut four pieces of ribbon roughly 20 times as long as it is thick (so ribbon 1 inch in width would be 20 inches long).
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Step 2
Fold each piece in half. Designate the ribbons a, b, c, and d.
Step 3
Place ribbon on a flat surface with the open side facing you. Bring up ribbon b with its open end to your right and connect to the back half of ribbon a. Connect ribbon c to the back half of ribbon a with ribbon c's open end facing your left. Slide ribbon d onto the front half of ribbon c and the back half of ribbon b ending with ribbon d's open end facing away from you.
Step 4
Pull on the ends of all the ribbons to create a tight woven square.
Step 5
Fold down the front of ribbon d. Repeat with the next two ribbons. Weave the last ribbon over and under the other ribbons. Pull gently on all ends of the ribbon to tighten.
Creating the Center of the Star
Step 1
Fold the top right piece back at a 45-degree angle. Bring this same piece back to the front at a 45-degree angle. This creates a sharp point that faces the original woven square. Thread the loose end of this piece through the loop of the ribbon below it.
Step 2
Rotate the star and repeat the step above until all four corners have a sharp point with the loose edge fed through the loop below it.
Step 3
Flip the star over and repeat this process on the back of the star.
Completing the Star
Step 1
Fold the top left piece down from the center. Turn down the other three corners.
Step 2
Tuck the top right piece under the fold on its left. Pull gently and eliminate any creases. Repeat with the other three corners.
Step 3
Flip the star over and repeat this process on the back of the star.