DIY Paper Starburst Kids' Birthday Party Decorations

Written by
Katherine Lee
Katherine Lee is a parenting writer and a former editor at Parenting and Working Mother magazines.
Learn about The Spruce Crafts' Editorial Process
Katherine Lee
Updated 08/16/20
paper party starburst

The Spruce / Katherine Lee

Overview
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Yield: 1 star
  • Skill Level: Kid-friendly

These beautiful starburst decorations look complicated but are actually super-simple to make. Kids will love making these homemade decorations for a birthday party, holiday celebration, kids' crafts party, or any other occasion. While it's a kid-friendly project, a younger child may need help getting the hang of folding the inner corners and attaching the points to create the full star.

There are so many things you can do with these starbursts. Hang them individually around the house or on your windows by punching a hole at the top of one of the star points, weaving a ribbon through, looping, then tying it so that it's ready to dangle. String them up on cording or ribbon to make a garland, hang a cluster from the ceiling that twirls in the breeze, or simply give them to your guests as take-home gifts after the party. Use them as gift box or gift bag decorations, as well. You'll need a handful of materials to make the starbursts.

Start with paper squares
The Spruce / Katherine Lee

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Single hole punch
  • Scissors or paper trimmer
  • Glue stick or craft glue
  • Stapler
  • Ruler

Materials

  • 7 pieces of lightweight colored card stock/construction paper cut into 4-inch by 4-inch squares (for one starburst)
  • Ribbon or string (optional)

Instructions

  1. Fold a Square Into a Triangle

    Take one of your square pieces of paper and fold it in half to form a triangle as shown.

    Making Various Sized Starbursts

    If you want bigger starbursts or smaller ones, simply adjust the size of each square that you cut—say, to 3-inch by 3-inch or 2-inch by 2-inch squares.

    Fold the square into a triangle.
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee

  2. Fold the Triangle Again

    1. Fold the triangle once again in half.
    2. Hold it so that the seam you just folded is on the bottom.
    3. Make two parallel cuts, each about three-fourths of the way in and not too close to the edge.
    Cut the triangles as shown.
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee

  3. Check for the Two Triangle Cuts

    At this stage, your triangle will look like this.

    Your triangle will look like this.
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee

  4. Unfold Your Triangle

    Carefully unfold the triangle you've cut.

    Your squares will look like this when opened.
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee

  5. Glue the Inner Corners

    1. Position the square of paper in front of you so it's the shape of a diamond with the lower point facing you.
    2. Gently fold the two flaps of the innermost corners over each other and glue them together.
    3. Try to keep the fold you've made rounded as you glue the corners together.

    How to Keep Folds Rounded

    Put a pencil into the folds when you glue them down so they stay nice and rounded.

    Glue the center as shown.
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee

  6. Glue the Middle Corners

    1. Take your diamond and flip it over.
    2. Glue the middle set of corners together just as you did with the center corners, making sure that you keep the flaps rounded.
    Turn over and glue again.
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee

  7. Glue the Remaining Corners

    1. Flip the diamond over once again and glue the last two outer corners together, again making sure that you keep the paper rounded.
    2. You now have a completed, rounded star point.
    Turn over and glue again.
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee

  8. Make More Star Points

    1. Take your next square and repeat the steps above.
    2. Make the rest of the star points using the above steps.
    3. Lay the star points out before gluing or stapling them together.
    Make several star points for the paper starbursts.
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee

  9. Attach the Points

    1. Take your glue or a stapler and attach points of your star together at the bottom of each point, as shown.
    2. Build the full starburst by adding the points until you're finished.
    Glue the star points together to form the starburst.
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee

  10. The Finished Starburst

    When you are done, your paper starbursts will look like this. They are as gorgeous as they are easy to make and they're ready to hang or use as embellishments.

    Blue and pink paper starbursts
    The Spruce / Katherine Lee