Try something different this holiday season – make a pretty 3D Christmas Ornament for your tree, entirely out of colored craft paper!

When you think of Christmas, we think of cheer, merriment, the spirit of giving and more. All very lovely thoughts indeed, but there is also a dark side to this popular holiday – too much wastage.

Contents show

Facts about Waste during Christmas

Christmas alone generates 30% more waste than the rest of the year
Gift boxes, wrapping materials and wrappers generate 125,000 tonnes of plastic waste
Plastic waste generated during Christmas weighs as much as 3.3 million Emperor Penguins
Post-Christmas, 12,500 tonnes of decor items are dumped in landfills
If the discarded wrapping paper from Christmas was laid out end-to-end, it would stretch to the moon

Okay, that’s a lot of waste for one holiday!

So how do we fix this? It’s not really that hard – you can make your own gift wrap, avoid buying plastic items and make your own Christmas tree ornaments. Well, today we’re going to help you with that last one – here’s a fun 3D Christmas ornament you can make with just good ol’ paper!

Creative 3D Christmas Ornament Papercraft

Supplies required:

Thick craft paper in bright colors
Large round beads, about 2 cm
String and needle
Pencil
A pair of scissors
Craft glue

How to make the 3D Christmas Ornament:

1. Let’s start with cutting circles out of craft paper. The choice of craft paper is important when making our 3D Christmas ornament. You need paper that has some weight, so it can hold its own when hung up. As for colors, choose bright colors – avoid green if your tree is also green, or the ornament won’t stand out. Once your paper is ready, decide on a size for your ornament and cut out 12 circles of the same size.

2. Fold each circle in half, neatly so there are no other creases. Now you have 12 semicircles.

3. Take one of your folded semicircle and unfold it. Apply a thin line of glue from the center of the crease to the edge of the circle, as shown in the image below.

4. Fold the circle again along the same crease so you get a semicircle again, but this time it’s stuck in the middle!

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining semicircles.

6. Now take one of the semicircles and apply 2 thin lines of glue from the folded crease to the curved edge of the semicircle, as shown below.

7. Place another semicircle on top of the glue lines, so that both semicircles are perfectly aligned with respect to straight edges and curves. Now repeat the previous step on the semicircle lying on top.

8. Continue applying glue lines and attaching semicircles till they’re all finished. Wait for the glue to dry completely before moving on with the next steps of your 3D Christmas ornament. You should end up with a thick stack of semicircles like the one below.

9. Once your glue is dry, it’s time for some magic! Take the stack and hold the first semicircle in one hand, and the last one of the stack in the other. Gently pull them in opposite directions and see what happens!

10. You now have a lovely honeycomb-like pattern for your 3D Christmas ornament. Let’s give this a base. Cut out a circle from card stock or thick craft paper, of the same diameter as the circles we’ve used so far. Fold it lightly in half so you get a crease in the middle.

11. Cut out a piece of string and thread it through a needle. Using the needle, pass the string through the bead. Take the part of the string under the bead and place it along the central crease of your circle. Make sure the bead rests on the edge of the circle, as shown.

12. Pass the needle back through the bead, creating a tiny loop in the process. Extend the needle all the way down the central crease of the circle, and cut off any excess.

13. Apply glue all over the circle base.

14. Take the honeycomb pattern and stick it on the base, securing it firmly in place.

15. See that string hanging out? Pass it through another bead and knot the end to secure the bead in place.

There you go, your gorgeous 3D Christmas ornament is ready to hang on your tree! Now go ahead and make more ornaments in different colors.

You see how some plain paper circles were transformed into a stunning piece of Christmas decor? This is just one of the reasons we love making stuff – there are so many possibilities with seemingly mundane materials! You can try experimenting with beads of different shapes, textures and colors, or even mixing and matching craft paper of different colors and patterns. You will love how unique and beautiful every creation turns out to be!

If you’d like to decorate your tree with more DIY ornaments, you may like these: