Hi there friends, I’m Faith from Design Fixation and today I’ll be teaching you how to make a topper for your Christmas tree using paper, scissors and a few other basic materials! Though it looks intricate, the process is really quite simple – so let’s get started.
Here’s what you’ll need for your kraft paper tree topper:
Five pieces of 8×10 inch kraft paper
Scissors
Hot glue gun with extra glue
Pencil
Ruler
Wire
Wire cutters
3 inch diameter cardboard circle
Begin by accordion-folding your first piece of kraft paper, starting with the short side of the paper. Each fold should be about one inch wide, and you should fold it eight times. Cut off any excess.
Lay the folded paper on your work surface, making sure to flip the paper so the left folded edge is pointed down and the right side is pointed up. Use your pencil to draw the pattern shown above on the left fold of the paper.
With everything all folded, cut along the pencil lines.
Fold the next piece of paper the same way you did the first, and then lay the first piece of cut and folded paper on top and trace the pattern on it so it turns out exactly like the first one. Repeat this process for the remaining three pieces of paper.
Once you have all five pieces of paper folded and cut, begin gluing them together. Put hot glue along the top of one folded piece and lay the bottom of another on top of it so the edges match up. Press firmly. Repeat this process until all five pieces are connected.
Create a wire spiral similar to the one pictured and be sure to end it with a zig-zag area that can be glued onto the paper. Once it’s dry, put a line of glue along the whole edge of the paper and attach it to the other end to form a circular shape.
With the back of the topper facing up, put a dab of glue in the center and then glue the cardboard to the back so that everything lays flat. And your kraft paper tree topper is complete!
What do you think?! It’s a beautiful accent for the top of your tree, and it can be customized any way you like… you can use any color or type of paper, and you can also play around with the different shapes you cut into the paper.
And if you liked this tutorial, be sure to check out my Crafty Hour classes where I teach live virtual workshops featuring a variety of different craft projects. Our next class will involve paper as well… follow Design Fixation on Instagram to find out what the project will be!
Merry Christmas to you and your family… hoping you get a chance to spend some extra time crafting, making and just being creative this holiday season!
