How to Cut Out a Star

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: February 12, 2023 References Tested

If you want to make a perfect star, all you need to do is fold a piece of paper a few times and make a single cut! You can cut a standard 5-pointed star or a 6-pointed star with the same type of folds you’d use to make a paper snowflake. With a little practice and a few sheets of paper, you can make paper stars that you can display anywhere!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Five-Pointed Star

1
Fold a piece of printer paper from left to right so the short sides line up. Set an 8 ¹⁄₂ in × 11 in (22 cm × 28 cm) sheet of paper on a flat surface so a long edge is closest to you. Fold the left side of the paper in half toward the ride side. Press along the crease with your knuckle or fingernail to hold it in place.^{[1]
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- If you want a colored star, use a piece of construction paper instead.
Tip: You can make a star using any piece of paper as long as it has the same size ratio as an 8 ¹⁄₂ in × 11 in (22 cm × 28 cm) piece. Use thinner paper if you’re making a smaller star.
2
Make another fold from left to right to form a crease. Take the folded edge on the left side of the paper and fold it in half toward the right side again. Press lightly on the fold to make a crease, but not so hard that it holds in place. Unfold the crease you just made so you see a line going down the middle of your paper.^{[2]
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- Make sure your second fold comes from the same side as your first fold. For example, don’t fold the right side over if you folded the left side of the paper in the first step.
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3
Bring the top left corner down to the bottom of the crease. Take the top left corner and fold it down. Line up the point of the corner to the bottom of the crease in the center of the paper to form an angled edge on top. The bottom left corner will form a triangle with the edge you just folded.^{[3]
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4
Fold the bottom left corner over the top edge of the triangle. Grab the bottom left corner of the paper and fold it away from you. Crease the paper along the angled edge of the triangle formed by the fold you made in the previous step. Use your fingernail or your knuckle to press down along the fold so it stays in place.^{[4]
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- You may also use a coin or the bottom of a spoon to press down on your crease to make it easier.
5
Align the angled edge on the bottom of the paper with the top edge. Take the short angled edge that you just made on the bottom of the paper and fold it up to the long angled edge on top. Seal the crease by rubbing on it with your fingernail or your knuckle. Your piece of paper will have a sharp point on the left side.^{[5]
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6
Cut diagonally from the new bottom edge to the top edge. Place your scissors halfway across the bottom edge of the paper. Cut at a 45-degree angle from the bottom edge toward the top edge of the paper. Keep the piece of the paper that looks like a triangle and throw out the scraps you cut off.^{[6]
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- Use a steeper angle if you want your star to be pointier.
7
Unfold the paper to reveal your star. After you make your cut, unfold the piece of paper with the point to form your star. Each edge will be the same shape and length so your star is symmetrical. Flatten out the piece of paper to smooth out the creases of your star.^{[7]
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- Crease the lines at each point of the star in the same direction to make them feel three-dimensional.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cutting a Six-Pointed Star

1
Fold the top right corner of a sheet of printer paper down to the bottom edge. Set an 8 ¹⁄₂ in × 11 in (22 cm × 28 cm) sheet of paper on a flat surface so the long side is closest to you. Take the top right corner and fold it down so the short side lines up with the bottom edge. Press on the fold with your knuckle to hold it in place.^{[8]
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- Try using construction paper to make a colored star.
2
Cut away the strip of leftover paper. After you make your first fold, there will be a strip of paper on the left side that isn’t folded over. Use a pair of scissors to remove the strip of paper from the side since you won’t need it for your star. When you’re finished, you will only have a folded triangle left over.^{[9]
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- You can start with a square piece of paper if you want to skip this step.
3
Line up the left corner with the right corner. Turn your piece of paper so the 90-degree angle points away from you. Take the corner on the left and fold the paper in half toward the right corner. Make sure your fold splits the original triangle in half. Press along the fold to form a crease and to hold it in place.^{[10]
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4
Fold the right edge over to make 2 identical triangles. Turn the piece of paper so the right angle points toward you. Grab the top right corner and fold it over toward the left side. Fold your paper over until you create 2 identical triangles. Crease the fold with your fingernail so it stays in place.^{[11]
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Tip: If you accidentally folded the paper incorrectly, start over again so you don’t have additional creases in your star.
5
Crease the left side over the right to form an arrow shape. Make sure the point of the triangle is pointing toward you. Take the left edge of your paper and fold over to the right side. Line up the edges on the right side and press down along the fold with your knuckle or fingernail to hold it in place. Your paper will look like an arrow with 1 point facing you and 2 points on top.^{[12]
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6
Cut the paper at a 45-degree angle from the right edge to the left edge. While the point of your paper is pointing toward you, position your scissors about halfway up the right edge of the paper. Cut toward the left side of the paper at a 45-degree angle to make the points of your star. Throw away the top pieces of paper so you only have the folded piece that’s pointing in your direction.^{[13]
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- Cut the paper at a sharper angle to give the points of your star more definition.
- You can cut straight across the top but it may make your star look wider.
7
Unfold your star. When you’re finished with your cut, carefully unfold your star so you don’t rip the paper. Your star will have 6 identical points and look symmetrical from each side. Flatten out the star to get rid of any creases if you want to.^{[14]
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- If you want to change the angles of your star, refold it and cut the top edge of the paper again.