The tradition of decorating a home for Christmas. What materials are needed for making crafts? How to make the Star of Bethlehem with your own hands: the best ideas, advice from the masters.
The star of Bethlehem is a real symbol of Christmas. After all, it was this luminary that led the wise men-wise men to Christ. Stars and asterisks decorate the tree, and especially its top, house, and even are placed on nearby trees. But the self-made Star of Bethlehem not only decorates, but really warms. The symbol is very inspiring, leading forward to peace and goodness, but it is important to know how to make the Star of Bethlehem correctly, and where it can be placed so that the craft not only pleases with beautiful shapes, but also plays the role of a real guiding star.
What is the Star of Bethlehem?
Decorations in the shape of a star for the New Year holidays have become familiar to many. But not everyone knows that there is an ancient history behind such a decor. According to legend, three wise men, according to the prophecy, followed an unusual luminary in heaven and came to the house where Jesus Christ was born. And although astronomers around the world are still arguing whether there could be a real celestial phenomenon behind this legend, for many believers the Star of Bethlehem has a truly sacred meaning. It is a symbol of salvation, joy and blessing, and as a symbol, the star has become an integral part of religious sacraments and folk traditions.
Many religious churches on their iconostases contain this symbol of the joyful news of the birth of the Savior. And on Christmas, such stars decorate every home and are an important part of the attribute of carols. Moreover, according to the researchers, it was the need to symbolize the movement of a star across the sky and the inclusion of this scene in a traditional nativity scene that significantly influenced the formation of theatrical art and its mechanization in general.
There is no specific pattern for the Star of Bethlehem. What the decoration looks like depends on the traditions of the religious community and the culture of the region as a whole. So, in European culture, images of an eight-pointed star are popular, in which 4 central (cross) rays are long, and diagonal ones are short. For many Slavic peoples, they prefer to depict the 12-pointed star of Bethlehem with even rays. Such an image can be with a circle in the middle. But there are five-pointed stars-tops on the Christmas tree in almost every home. This is already a legacy not of ancient traditions, but of the Soviet Union.
The Christmas star can also be three-dimensional with a lot of rays, such as, for example, the Moravian toy made in the early 19th century. The 3D decoration turned out to be so unusual that it became a real property of the community. Such crafts must be done independently at the very beginning of Advent (New Year's Eve).
The size of the toy may vary depending on the application. So, the largest star of Bethlehem is attached with its own hands to a rigid base and worn by a star on Christmas nativity scenes. On the festive evening, a symbolic scene is played, repeating the ancient legend - the journey of the Magi for the star and the notification of people about the birth of the Savior.
Smaller stars, made of durable materials, decorate the house outside, and very small ones are placed on the Christmas tree or in the New Year's decorations in the room. In one house there can be many such decorations, made in different techniques.
Materials for making the Star of Bethlehem
The first stars of Bethlehem were made of paper, but the material was fragile. For a den or for decorating a street, such crafts are not suitable, since they will not last long in snowy weather. And in the house they should be kept away from open flames. But today, when electric garlands are used instead of candles on Christmas trees, such a paper star of Bethlehem can become a full-fledged part of a festive decoration or even create the basis of all compositions. The number of such crafts can be overwhelming. Moreover, working with paper is easy and simple, crafts can be created with children.
In addition to paper, to make the Star of Bethlehem with your own hands, you may need:
- cardboard or foam as a rigid base for the craft;
- wood is also suitable for the base, but unlike cardboard and foam, it does not need to be completely covered with decorative elements, it is allowed that part of the base is visible under the decoration;
- wire - a frame-forming element is used to create openwork crafts;
- threads and yarns are used both as a decorative element and as a forming base;
- beads, beads, sequins abundantly dot the canvas of the stars, adding a decorative element of radiance, but the rays are also actively decorated with bells or rustling ribbons so that the slightest breath of wind reminds of the upcoming holiday with a cheerful ringing;
- straws prepared in advance - crafts made from this material are very strong, but weightlessly light, it is very simple to work with it, but the technique requires preliminary preparation and processing of the material.
The star of Bethlehem is an atypical decoration, so any materials are used to create it. It is preferable that these materials are rigid in shape and complemented by shiny elements, but monochromatic decorations also look original in their own way.
To process materials at home, you will need scissors, PVA glue or pistol glue, plasticine and even polymer clay. Depending on the location of the decorative element, nylon thread, tape, hairpins, pins can serve as fasteners. Fixation is carried out for one ray of the Star of Bethlehem or for a specially thought-out mount.
By annually changing the technique of creating Christmas decorations, you can completely change the design of the New Year's decor. At the same time, any of the crafts can be created with children, making preparing for the holidays a wonderful family tradition.
How to make the Star of Bethlehem with your own hands?
It is very simple to make the Star of Bethlehem out of paper with your own hands: a square sheet of paper is folded in half lengthwise and across, and then "triangles" diagonally. When this sheet unfolds, 8 beams remain on the white canvas. It is easy to cut an even star on such a blank, and then paint as desired and decorate with sparkles. The 12-pointed star is more difficult to draw, but you can use the ready-made template for the Star of Bethlehem, which is freely available.
Ready-made templates are also used for wood carving. Such toys can wear the outlines of a star along the outer contour, and complex compositions, for example, biblical stories or small Christmas motifs, are cut out with a stencil inside. The flat star of Bethlehem for Christmas is decorated with sparkles, colorful paper or brushes made of rain. Flat stars differ from ordinary carved snowflakes with sharp edges and a large amount of decor, but you can easily use templates for cutting snowflakes to create your craft, just modifying them a little (make the edges even).
The templates can also be used to cut the base of the star out of cardboard. Even material from an old box is suitable for work. After that, the star must be beautifully decorated, completely covering the cardboard. You can fill the space with rags of fabric, colored or holographic paper, thick paint.
It is not necessary to make the product monolithic. In the scriptures it is noted that the Magi saw an "unusual star", so you can create and create unusual crafts of the Star of Bethlehem for Christmas at your discretion. For example, a large base is cut out of cardboard, and then a cut is made inside. You get a cardboard outline, which is then easily and quickly braided with soutache thread. For creativity, you can take simple yarn, and decorate the tops of the stars with dense pom-poms.
The use of yarn in the New Year's decor adds to the atmosphere of comfort and warmth. An unusual way to make the Star of Bethlehem with your own hands is weaving without a base. On a piece of foam rubber, 8 or 12 pins are attached according to the number of vertices of your sprocket. The thread is tightly pulled between these pins to make an asterisk. The finished product is glued, and when the glue dries, the needles are taken away. Small stars made of threads will become the most unusual decoration of the New Year tree.
You can add volume to the toy if you combine several techniques. A simple volumetric craft The star of Bethlehem is created from paper and glue. For work, you will need to fold the paper 8 times, and then cut 4 opposite rays to half. On the cut, the rays are glued together with a cone. Such a blank is a sprocket with 4 cone-shaped beams. Make a second blank and join them together to form an 8-pointed star. For more complex volumes, you first need to glue a complex blank polyhedron. Then, a cone-ray of a star should be attached to each workpiece. This is how the first industrial Moravian stars were created.
Note! The Star of Bethlehem adorns the homes of many Christians at Christmas. It is also called the Christmas star, but this is the name given to the milkweed flower that blooms in winter.
Tips from the masters
The first Christmas stars of Bethlehem for folk nativity scenes were created from scrap materials. In many regions, the following design is common: an old sieve is attached to the shaft, inside which an icon of the Mother of God with the baby is installed; sheaves of straw, decorated with ribbons, bells, paper flowers, usually serve as rays. Simple designs suggest that you can use the most non-trivial objects for creativity. So before you get rid of a piece of fabric or beads, consider how they might be a great addition to your Christmas crafts.
As you can see, it is not at all necessary to equally decorate the crafts in the center and on the rays. In some regions, on the contrary, each ray was decorated in its own way. Do not hold back your fantasies and implement the most daring ideas to make your own unique Christmas Star of Bethlehem. At the same time, you should think about the location of the decoration in advance. If it is suspended above the entrance, consider the dimensions - whether guests entering the house will cling to the suspension. And if the location is a Christmas tree, choose a size that is not too small for a forest beauty.
For bulky toys, it is better to think over the storage space in advance in order to get a completely finished decoration next year. But you can experiment with new crafts every season.
When decorating the house with the stars of Bethlehem, remember the traditions: one star is attached at the entrance as a guiding light, and already in the room their number may not be limited. However, do-it-yourself flammable paper stars of Bethlehem are best placed, of course, away from fire. It is also necessary to ensure that small children, attracted by the glitter, do not accidentally pull the tinsel or glitter from the toy into their mouths. The decoration is best hung out of reach.
Do not throw out old toys, because these are not just boring crafts, but sacred symbols. Those stars that you no longer plan to use in your pre-holiday decor, donate to charity trees or disassemble into component materials. And include the creation of a new star as part of the New Year's preparation as an Advent calendar task.
How to make the Star of Bethlehem - watch the video:
The star of Bethlehem is an important attribute of the festival, and not just a beautiful decoration. As a symbol of the birth of Christ, candles are lit in every home, and homemade toys are hung nearby. There are no definite rules on how to make the Star of Bethlehem, how it should look like, and this opens up wide opportunities for the masters. Only the general shape is established, and the contour of the star, the internal decor and filling can be any. A handmade toy will be doubly valuable if children help you to create it. Introducing the younger generation to family and Christian traditions through joint crafts will strengthen relations between different generations and give the whole house a festive mood.
