How to Make Origami Lucky Stars from Paper Strips
Turn a narrow paper strip into a five-sided base, wrap it neatly and pinch its edges to make a small puffy lucky star.
A lucky star begins with a loose knot in one narrow paper strip. Flatten that knot into a pentagon, wrap the long end around its edges, tuck the tail, then pinch the five edge centers to puff the faces outward. This is the tiny strip-paper star, not a flat star folded from a square.
A source-based guide with original diagrams. We have not physically made or tested this version.
What you’ll need
- Plain paper cut into strips; a starting size from All Things Paper is ½ × 8 inches, about 13 × 203 mm
- Scissors and a ruler, or ready-cut lucky-star paper
- A clean, dry working surface; no glue is required for the main fold
Begin with a strip that bends cleanly
Use one consistent strip width. A tapered or wavy strip makes it harder to wrap close to each edge of the pentagon. Smooth paper is easier to read than a strong printed pattern while learning the route.
The ½ × 8 inch starting strip is an example from All Things Paper, whose tutorial uses 24 lb paper. It is not a universal ratio for every paper thickness. If you change width or paper weight, test one star before cutting a whole batch.
A gift jar can hold many stars, but it does not change the folding method. First make a single shape whose edges stay tucked and whose points are distinct.
References: All Things Paper: Folded Lucky Stars Tutorial
Form the five-sided base
Near one end, curve the strip into a loop and pass the short end through it, like starting an overhand knot. Ease the loop smaller without pulling hard. Arrange the overlapping paper into five straight sides, then gently flatten the knot.
Keep a short tail and a long working end. Fold the short tail along the nearby edge and tuck it under the overlap; trim it slightly if it is too long to hide. The long end should remain available for wrapping.
Stop if you have a crumpled loop or four uneven corners. Re-form the knot while it is still loose. Extra wrapping will copy an uneven base rather than make it regular.
Wrap along the existing edges
Fold the long strip across the pentagon, following the slanted edge that guides its direction. Flip the pentagon over, then fold the strip across the face now facing you. Repeat this fold-and-flip sequence, keeping every layer inside the five-sided outline. Follow the existing edges rather than forcing the strip into a square coil.
Keep the layers snug enough not to gape, without squeezing the base into a hard, crushed stack. When only a short tail remains, slide it under an accessible previous layer. Trim a little if the tail doubles back or sticks out.
Before shaping, look around all five edges. A protruding tail needs tucking now; pinching first can make the overlap harder to reach.
References: Make-Origami: Lucky Stars
Watch the knot and wrapping sequence
Origami with Jo Nakashima · Origami Lucky Star
Watch the loose knot become a pentagon, then follow the fold-and-flip movement. Use the strip dimensions given in this article as a starting sample; the video demonstrates the folding technique, not a test of our paper.
Pinch the edges, not the faces
Support the pentagon lightly between your fingertips. With a thumbnail, press gently into the center of one edge. Move around the shape, repeating at each of the five edge centers. The corners become points as the two broad faces rise.
If a face caves inward, stop squeezing across it. Hold the pentagon by its edges, leaving both broad faces free to puff outward, and try a smaller pinch. A tightly crushed base may need a new start. If a thin base will not hold its shape, try a fresh strip of a different weight before changing several variables at once.
References: Make-Origami: Lucky Stars
Keep the stars from being crushed
Set the first finished star on the table and inspect the five points. Store finished stars loosely in a clean dry container. They are small paper decorations; keep them away from children who may put them in their mouths.
For a hanging ornament with a larger structure, use the six-arm snowflake guide instead of simply scaling this strip until it becomes difficult to wrap.