Woven Paper Star Ornament

One of the traditional Scandinavian designs that I work with are Woven Paper Star Ornaments.  I make them and I teach people to make these woven three-dimensional stars (below).  They are known throughout Scandinavian countries and much of northern Europe.  Many cultures lay claim to these tranditional Christmas ornaments, calling them Nordic Stars, Swedish Stars, German Stars, and "Julestjernen" (Danish for "Christmas Star"), among other names.  Traditional woven stars are made of paper and are usually red or white.  The star in this picture is white, but the lighting makes it look more of an ivory color.

My heritage is half Danish and my husband is of Norwegian and German decent, so I feel connected to these ornaments and enjoy passing on a piece of my heritage when I'm teaching others to make the stars. 

I will be demonstrating how to make stars this coming weekend, June 1 & 2, 2012, at the Scandinavian Days festival in Story City, Iowa.  I invite you to stop and say "Hello" and if you have time, we'll make a star together.  I will be located in Heritage Hall from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.  Take a look at the Scandinavian Days web page for more information. I'll have a special gift for anyone who stops by my table and tells me you read this on my blog.

For next time, you should know that I am not content with using these wonderful stars just as Christmas ornaments or only using traditional colors.  In my next post I'll show you some of the ways I've adapted this tranditional ornament to a life beyond the Christmas season by using it in new ways and in modern designs.