We've looked before at the history of the Moravian star as a holiday decoration: back in the 1830s, a math teacher at a Moravian boarding school in Herrnhut, Germany had his students craft the stars as part of their geometry lesson around Christmastime. The students turned their classwork into Christmas lanterns, and the local Herrnhut community soon began manufacturing glass versions for a wide marketplace. (Click here for a more in-depth history of the Moravian star and for more information about the shape itself.)
If you want to make the same long-pointed star as the original Moravian version, you can order a kit from Herrnhut that comes with the polyhedron core and several cones that you assemble. There are also beautiful electrified versions that require minor or no assembly available from MoravianStars.com.
But if you're feeling up to some folding and looping, you can make your own! Origami Moravian stars are made from even strips of paper that you can cut yourself or order pre-cut from various sellers, including the Origami Resource Center and Starcrosses on Etsy. The classic origami technique yields small paper stars that look a bit like round gift bows. After you finish making them, paint them with glue and add glitter or sequins! You can find step-by-step how-to's here and here, but I'm partial to this video:
If you have a little more patience and time — like, say, a blizzard — then you might want to try to make the gorgeous striped star in image 5. Featured on Design Sponge last year, it can be made using this PDF template that you can print out. This may be beyond my capabilities, but it is so beautiful, and, like all Moravian stars, can be used as year-round decor.
Do you think you'll make any stars this year?
Images: 1 Fade Into Bleu; 2 A Subtle Revelry; 3 Herrnhuter-Sterne.de; 4 Dana Gallagher photograph via Bernstein & Andriulli; 5 Schindler Salmeron via Design*Sponge.
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I won't be making them, but these certainly are pretty. They also remind me of science fiction space ships, especially the first photo.
Thank you for this post. I'm in Berlin right now, and wanted to buy a plastic one to hang on my house, but man oh man, they are expensive! Now perhaps I can make my own.
My very favorite thing! I collect them as lanterns and ornaments, in all sizes!
I would quibble that the German paper folded stars are the same thing as the "Great Stellated Rhombicuboctahedrons" (to quote the Wikipedia article) which are what I think of as Moravian stars. (Stellated polyhedrons.)
German paper folded stars are a different seasonal item, and having made a few, I hope I never have to again!
Seasonal Christmas decoration shops that pop up in the malls every year often have the illuminated tree toppers. For some reason, I have never gotten around to getting one until this year. Mine has a 12 inch diameter and cost $19.
Thanks You Tube video maker, the sentiment is appreciated. But I sure wish a professional had made it. I want to see how to do it from the maker's perspective. Holding the camera above and behind the shoulder of the demonstrator would have been helpful.
We used to make the German stars when I was a kid. After completing the star, we would dip them in melted wax and sprinkle glitter on them!
I feel like i need to defend german paper stars! Sure they are a little tricky at first but once you get it down you can make a lot of impressive ornaments really fast. I have about 200 I have made myself over the past 3 years.
Some tips if you want to try them:
-look at these directions, i personally learned from these and i found them easier to follow than that video. http://highhopes.com/3dstar.html
- use ribbon instead of strips of paper, its a lot less tedious to cut a length of ribbon than a strip of paper
- flatten the ribbon out by running it against the curl on a ruler or scissors (just like you would to curl a ribbon, except the oposite way and a bit more gentle)
- start off big, with 1 inch strips. also make your strips a bit long the first few times (24x the width) it makes it easier to work with even if there is a lot of wasted ribbon at the end
- taper the ends so its easier to weave them together
- use a bone folder or egde of a small ruler to make your creases really sharp
- put in an old classic holiday movie or something, not something that will take all your attention but something fun to listen to and glance at while you work
Can't believe this didn't mention the best source for Moravian stars, The Moravian Book Shop!