3D Folded Paper Stars by Stjernestunder

Helle Holst of Denmark has been a crafter all her life; in fact, she learned to knit before starting school. Her attention turned almost exclusively to paper crafting in 2002, specifically the popular three dimensional stars that are made by interlocking four strips of paper. Helle has taken the basic design to new heights by adding gorgeous colors and durability.

folded-star-garland

Hearts, prisms, cones, baskets, and a variety of star shapes have joined the list of items she ships all over the western world via her business, Stjernestunder; Helle strives to create a new design each year. The ornaments can be hung on Christmas trees, strung as garlands, given as party favors, and even worn as hair accessories.

These white hearts are pretty wedding decorations and flat-folded prisms add a festive touch to windows.

folded-heart
Sateen ribbon hearts 

folded-prisms

Helle told me folded stars are a December tradition in Denmark, often made with friends and family, at school meetings, etc. Stars of this type with sixteen points have been popular for more than a hundred years and are known by many names, such as Froebel star, Advent star, and Christmas star. No one is positive where the design first originated, but quite a few places lay claim... you'll also hear it referred to as a Danish, German, Nordic, Polish, or Swedish star, and even closer to home for me, the Pennsylvania German star.

folded-paper-star

Back in 1998 when Helle's son was eight, he had the idea to sell stars he had made. Setting up shop in front of the local supermarket met with success, and became an annual tradition for the next several years. This led Helle, who was employed in education at the time, to turn her managerial experience, energy, and love of crafting into a home-based business. Stjernestunder, by the way, means Star Moments in Danish.

folded-ribbon-cones
Sateen ribbon cones

She remains passionate about paper and origami today, and despite having created many perfect items over the years, says there are always new ideas and materials to try.

folded-star-hairpins
These hair clip stars are made from thin plastic, but the photo is so pretty, I had to show it too.

Helle folds thousands and thousands of decorations annually and has begun collaborating with others in nearby countries who also work with paper. For instance, she is a merchant for PaperPhine's colorful paper twine and paper jewelry. Below is a display from a trade show that shows packages festooned with a winning combination of Stjernestunder stars and PaperPhine string.

wrapped-presents

Helle's mother has been assisting her since the business launched, and additional hands help with packing and shipping during the busy season. Despite the many items that are made, Stjernestunder remains home-based - more specifically, dining room-based. Helle says there are cardboard boxes stacked from floor to ceiling and admits her husband is a very patient man!

Spring is when they fold thousands of classic white paper stars in four sizes.

folded-paper-stars

With utmost caution, the stars are taken to an industrial space to be coated with two layers of high gloss furniture paint in deep red, black, or white using a special soft nozzle technique.

folded-paper-stars

This makes them durable and even more striking in appearance.

folded-paper-stars

Contact Helle via the beautiful Stjernestunder website or Facebook.


Ann Martin
Ann Martin

This is a short biography of the post author and you can replace it with your own biography.

Comments

  1. Those tiny stars are perfect. Such a talent!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for this nice blog post I'm really honored.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love these lovely stars and also the colours . I too feel inspired to fold some stars.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you so much for sharing this post :-) creativity seems to flow from Helle, how wonderful to wake up each day and make such delightful creations :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is A LOT of folded stars!!! I made about 200 one year for Christmas for my aunts and mom and that was enough for me...I can't imagine doing it every day! I love how she's taken the craft to the next level and beyond that, awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow. They are gorgeous. That's so great that they're still home based. I loved seeing the process of them being coated in paint.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Truly amazing!!! TFS her wonderful crafting designs.
    Paper Hugs,
    Jan

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I try to respond to questions within 24 hours, so please check back.