20 Hopelessly Adorable DIY Christmas Ornaments Made from Paper

The art of paper folding – Origami – is a fascinating part of Japanese tradition that has been traced back as far as 1680. Making an incredibly intricate and delicate sculpture out of nothing but a square sheet of paper truly is breathtaking, especially when you consider the fact that customarily, the techniques don’t allow any cutting or gluing.

We’ve put together an impressive collection of Christmas tree ornaments that you can make yourself from paper, but thankfully, unlike origami, most of them include a few other tools or techniques to make life a bit easier for you. We love recycling and upcycling, so this is a great way to make use of what you may already have lying around as scrap.

Jump to:

• 1. Paper Stars
• 2. Christmas Trees
• 3. Twisted Snowflake
• 4. Striped Spaceships
• 5. Striped Balls
• 6. Origami Flower Ball
• 7. Paper Ball
• 8. Modern Bulbs
• 9. Easy Hearts
• 10. Photo Ball
• 11. Ornate Cut-Out
• 12. Scalloped Ball
• 13. Curled Strips
• 14. Recycling Pages
• 15. Dancing Ladies
• 16. Little Birdies
• 17. Winged Birdies
• 18. 3D Stars
• 19. Ice Cream Cones
• 20. Paper Sphere
• Ready for more? Check out our other Christmassy collections and tutorials.

1. Paper Stars

These paper stars would look absolutely stunning hanging from the tree – perhaps you could make one for each member of the family and put the first letter of their names in the middle. Again, this one means ripping up a book, but hopefully you have an already damaged book to give new life.

2. Christmas Trees

Hanging a tree from a tree? Why not? These little darlings are so quick to make there’s really no excuse. And we love the quirky notion of making a paper replica of the thing on which these will be hanging.

3. Twisted Snowflake

We simply adore these delicate paper snowflakes; they really pay homage to the real thing. These do turn out massive, so it could look stunning sitting atop the tree, while the smaller diamond shapes can dangle freely.

4. Striped Spaceships

We love these cute spaceships because they look like squashed little balls; very funky. And on the plus side, they’re a lot easier to make than they look.

5. Striped Balls

Here is the un-squashed version of the above; we love the oriental theme and the fact that you can use all different types of paper (patterned or just plain colors) for an array of differing effects. You could even hang some beads or crystals from the bottom for some extra glam.

6. Origami Flower Ball

Okay, so here is where a bit of the origami comes in. We’ll give it to you straight: this project is time-consuming, but it’s not difficult to make, and the tutorial makes the instructions very clear and easy to follow. So put a movie on, and get folding!

7. Paper Ball

Here’s a sort of variation of the sphere from before, but it looks a bit more flowery and fun. There are three different sized templates that you can download, so go paper ball crazy!

8. Modern Bulbs

The shape may remind you of an onion, but we promise the process won’t make you cry! These modern minimalist beauties are super easy to make, and as long as you store them carefully, you’ll be hanging them on your tree again next year.

9. Easy Hearts

If you’re making the bulbs above, you may as well use a few more of those paper strips to make these delightful little hearts. They’re so simple, yet so effective.

10. Photo Ball

Using the same paper strip concept, you can also make a regular ball shape. What’s really blown us away here is the idea of using family photos. Christmas is all about family, so adding a personal touch to the tree is always a welcomed affair.

11. Ornate Cut-Out

With the help of a template this paper ornament will be a cinch to make. We love the chic and elegant design that will bring some class and sophistication to your beautiful tree.

12. Scalloped Ball

There are many variations of these paper ball ornaments; some are easier than others, so we’re giving you all the options so that you don’t feel restricted. This is one of the simpler ones. We love the white because it’ll look like little snowballs dangling from your tree; a light dust of glitter could also really make them pop.

13. Curled Strips

As hoarders, we love to hold on to all types of wedding or birthday invitations so that we have a physical reminder of all the special memories that were made. So we were delighted to find this clever little idea to store those invitations in a glass ornament so that instead of piling up in a drawer somewhere, they’re actually integrated into an ornament that can be reused year after year.

14. Recycling Pages

These ornaments are so easy to make, and they allow you to write or draw pretty much whatever you want. If you’re a bibliophile and shudder at the thought of ripping up a book (we do!), then find some printed-out pages to recycle (maybe old school/university notes) or even try the newspaper. These are perfect if you’re a bit low on cash.

15. Dancing Ladies

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me nine ladies dancing… These paper ballerinas are simply adorable, and you can make a whole collection of different positions and matching skirts.

16. Little Birdies

The only effort that this one requires is tracing and cutting. That’s it. With a design this simple you can make as many as you want with a whole bunch of different paper variations.

17. Winged Birdies

If you love the bird theme, then maybe you’ll like having a combination of the above and this winged little creature as much as we do.

18. 3D Stars

Here’s another real origami project for you to wow your friends and family. Simply follow the steps in the images, and you’ll be good to go! Starts have been associated with Christmas trees for a long time now, so we really love the elegant yet simplistic approach of these 3D paper versions.

19. Ice Cream Cones

These playful little ice cream cones inject some color and whimsical fun into the holiday; if you’ve got little kiddies, they may enjoy making these with you since they’re a cinch to make and require very few materials. Ice cream may not be synonymous with Christmas, but sometimes it’s fun to take a walk on the unconventional side.

20. Paper Sphere

This one looks rather complicated, and to be honest, it is, but just look at that incredible finished product! That should be motivation enough to stick it out! To customize this for your tree, find some delightfully themed paper; otherwise, you can keep it neutral so that you can hang this ornament elsewhere in the house when Christmas fever finally passes.

Ready for more? Check out our other Christmassy collections and tutorials.

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