This Christmas Origami Bell Craft is an easy project for kids to try this holiday season and don’t worry about the mess – all you need is paper!

When you think about it, there are many kinds of bells – wedding bells, cycle bells, alarm bells – but our favorite has got to be sleigh bells; the kind that indicates the coming of gifts!

Bells have a particular significance during the holiday season – and not only because of Santa‘s sleigh! Bells were rung to announce the birth of Jesus, and today they signal the start of the Christmas season. Many churches ring their bells to indicate that they are starting their Christmas special services.

There are quite a few fun facts about Christmas bells, and this is the first time we’ve heard of some of them!

Contents hide

Fun Facts about Christmas Bells:

Easy Christmas Origami Bell Craft for Kids

Supplies required:

How to make the Origami Bell Craft:

Fun Facts about Christmas Bells:

1. The most popular song about Christmas bells is probably ‘Jingle Bells‘, but did you know that it was initially a Thanksgiving song known as ‘One Horse Open Sleigh’?

2. Jingle Bells is also the first song to be broadcast from space! Astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra sneaked a harmonica and some sleigh bells into the Gemini 6 spacecraft and played the song from outer space!

3. Some UK churches have a tradition of ringing their largest bell four times in the hour before midnight, and then as the clock strikes 12, all the bells are rung together.

4. Since the Victorian times, it has been a tradition for carolers to carry small handbells as they go around singing.

5. According to pagan winter celebrations, ringing bells is believed to chase away evil spirits.

Award-winning American lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II said that “A bell’s not a bell ’til you ring it“, and we’d like to add to it – a bell’s not a bell till you make it! So here’s an easy Christmas Origami Bell Craft for kids to make this festive season!

Easy Christmas Origami Bell Craft for Kids

Supplies required:

Craft paper or Origami paper in red, green and yellow
Sharpies or markers in different colors
Pencil
Craft glue
A pair of scissors

How to make the Origami Bell Craft:

1. Prepare a square of yellow craft paper, measuring 10 cm.

2. Fold the square paper in half vertically and unfold.

3. Now fold the square horizontally and unfold again.

4. Fold down the bottom edge inward. The width of the edge can be about 1-1.5 cm.

5. Turn the paper over so that the fold is now underneath. You can see the two creases running across the square – fold down the top right corner to meet the creases.

6. Similarly, fold the top left corner inward, to meet the creases. You now have a triangle on top and a rectangle at the bottom.

7. Fold the triangle down so the top corner goes slightly beyond the bottom edge of the rectangle.

8. Now fold the right edge inward, but make sure it’s at an angle, so the right edge does not align perfectly with the center.

9. Fold the left edge inward, again ensuring that it’s at an angle.

10. Fold the top left corner inside, as shown in the image above.

11. Repeat the previous step on the right side. Turn it over and your Origami bell is ready, now it’s time to decorate it!

12. Cut out holly leaves from green craft paper and cherries from red craft paper. If you like, you can also cut out a bow.

13. Use Sharpies or colored markers to draw outlines inside the cut patterns. Using glue, attach the holly leaves together, and then stick the cherries on top.

14. Stick the assembled holly leaves on top of the Origami bell – that’s it, your craft is complete!

We’ve created another Origami bell with a bow too, so you know how it looks. Go ahead and try out different combinations – when it’s so easy to make, it’s fun to experiment with it!

If you liked this craft, you may also enjoy these Christmas paper crafts: