TIERED PAPER GARLAND ORNAMENT
The repetition of geometric shapes is an ideal way to create visual impact. Trying this with an ornament is simple and it’s easy to duplicate as many times as you wish. The tutorial calls for six layers of paper discs, but make more to transform it into an eye-catching garland. Variations in color and texture make the possibilities innumerable.
Materials: Tracing paper Pencil Cardstock white, 2 sheets, 8 1⁄2 x 11 inches (22 x 28 cm) Disc template (see Step 2) Scissors or craft knife Self-healing cutting mat Piercer or pushpin Quilling tool Ruler Glue Twine or embroidery floss Sewing needle (optional)
Hint! Consider the use of this ornament as a stacked group on a long strand or hung individually as a mobile. Alternating colors of paper would add another level of interest. Additional ideas would be to use discs that diminish or grow in size on each level and/or use beads instead of quilled strips of paper between the discs.
Looking for more paper decor ideas? Try our beaded crepe paper garland and tutorials!
Step 1
Have all your tools and materials? Good!
Step 2
Trace the disc template at left onto tracing paper.
Step 3
Transfer the design to the cardstock six times by photocopy or by cutting out the traced image and using it as a template. Make sure to mark the center of each traced image and the markings on the ends of each of the rays.
Step 4
Cut out all six discs. Crease and fold (90-degree angle) the outermost 1/4 inch (6 mm) of each ray in the same direction. Poke a hole in the center of each disc using a paper piercer or push pin. Set aside.
Step 5
Cut six strips of cardstock that measure 7 x 1/2 inches (18 cm x 13 mm).
Step 6
Use a quilling tool to roll each strip. Seal the end with a dot of glue. Be careful not to make the rolls too tight, as twine or embroidery floss will be threaded through the center of each roll.
Step 7
Cut a 10-inch (25 cm) strand of twine or floss and tie a knot on one end. Starting with a disc, alternately thread all six discs and six rolls on the twine, adding a bit of glue between each disc and roll. Be sure to alternate the positions of the disc rays from one layer to the next. Use a needle if it makes this step easier. Make a loop on the end of the twine and use it to hang the ornament.
Step 8
This tutorial is excerpted with permission from All Things Paper: 20 Unique Projects from Leading Paper Crafters, Artists, and Designers
by Ann Martin and released by Tuttle Publishing.
Project Designer: Patricia Zapata is a graphic designer and crafter who runs A Little Hut, a paper goods business and craft blog. She is also the author of Home, Paper, Scissors: Decorative Paper Accessories for the Home.
