No-Sew Scandinavian Folded Fabric Star Christmas Ornament

Marie Overton
Dec 10, 2021
4 min read

Updated: Nov 12

It is time to trim our family’s annual Christmas Tree. I am a softy when it comes to vintage homemade Christmas Tree Ornaments. I also like the old-fashioned no-sew quilted folded fabric Christmas ornaments. Did you see how elegant and timeless they are? If you didn’t then you need to check that video out. This year I am adding the no-sew Scandinavian folded fabric star Christmas ornaments made from the same fabrics that I made last year’s ornaments from.

Selecting and Preparing Coordinating Fabrics:

Step 1: Choose a selection of fabrics that you like together. This is a great way to use scraps of quilting cotton that you have leftover from projects. I am using the same fabric that I made last year’s ornaments out of so that they coordinate with my tree.

Quilted fabric star ornament with green, red, and white patterns, hangs on a Christmas tree. Sparkling lights create a festive feel.

You can coordinate the fabric selection of your stars in one of 4 ways. Your stars may be made of all one color, there are two methods to use 2 colors, or you may use 4 colors.

Star-shaped ornament with red, green, and white patterns hangs on a Christmas tree. Background includes lights and a small bird figurine.

Step 2: It is time to cut our fabric. In the video, I made the medium Scandinavian Folded Fabric Star Ornament, however, I am providing you the dimensions for three different sizes. I have all three sizes of star ornaments on my tree.

Patchwork star ornament with red, gray, and white snowflake patterns hangs on a Christmas tree with white and gold ribbon. Festive mood.

Small Star: 3″ x 13″

Medium Star: 3 1/2″ x 13 1/2″

Large Star: 4″ x 14″

Hands guide green snowflake fabric through a rotary cutter on a black and orange measuring board. The setting is a crafting workspace.

If you would like to make smaller or larger stars you can use the same dimension increments. Just add 10 inches to whatever width of fabric you cut to get the appropriate length.

A hand is pointing at a red fabric with white snowflake patterns on a paint-splattered white background.

Step 3: This is an optional step, but one that I found to be quite useful, especially when making the larger stars. The step is to use a fabric stiffener to stiffen the fabric before folding and ironing the fabric.

I used Stiffen Quick, but there are other options available.

To use the fabric stiffener you will spray both sides of the pre-cut fabric and then set it aside to dry. If you are impatient for it to dry you can grab your hairdryer and speed up the drying process.

The fabric stiffener helps the stars to endure the test of time and hold their shape for a very long time.

Hand with a ring ironing green patterned fabric on a gray towel. Background includes colorful fabric swatches.

Step 4: It is time to iron the stripes so they appear as if they are double-fold bias tape. Iron in half, then fold the edges into the center, and iron again. Finally, fold in half a final time so that all of the raw edges are folded into the center and not showing.

Hands ironing colorful fabric strips on a wooden surface. Strips have red, gray, and white patterns with snowflakes and geometric designs.

Step 5: Fold the strips almost in half, so one end is about an inch longer than the other.

Weaving and Folding the Scandinavian Star christmas Ornament:

Step 6: Lay all of the strips with the shorter ends facing up and start weaving them together, so that each strip is sandwiching the previous one. Pull the ends of the last strip through the loop of the first. Pull the strips taut. It should now hold together on its own.

Hands arranging red snowflake-patterned ribbons on a wooden surface. One hand holds a white and red striped fabric roll.

Hands folding patterned ribbons on a wooden surface, featuring red and gray holiday designs.

Hands folding red, white, and gray paper strips with snowflake patterns on a wooden table, creating a woven design.

Hands weave red and gray patterned ribbons on a wooden surface, creating a decorative design. A metal hook aids in the weaving.

Hands weaving red and gray patterned paper strips on a wooden surface, creating a cross shape.

Step 7: Flip it over, and weave the long ends together as you would a cardboard box. Pull the strips taut again. It should now be folded and feel as if it has a double thickness.

You may want to iron each side of the woven fabrics. This is optional, but if you watch the video you will see me iron regularly during this project.

Take a moment to inspect the anatomy of your star ornament. You will see that one side will have a thin strip while the other will form more of a pocket.

Hands folding red and white snowflake-patterned paper on a wooden surface, with a tool nearby, creating a intricate design.

Hands weaving red and grey patterned paper strips on a wooden surface, with scissors nearby, creating a calm crafting scene.

Hands making a woven star with festive fabric strips. Scissors cut a strip on a wooden table. Red and gray snowflake patterns visible.

Step 8: In turn, fold each of the strips into a triangular point. I begin with the 4 ends that have the thin strip in the back and the pocket-like area in the front. I show this in detail in the video. Begin with folding into a triangular point backward, then fold forward. measure the remaining length against the 1/4 section of fabric and trim. Then tuck the long end of the fabric into the pocket-like space to secure it.

Hands weave patterned red and gray paper strips on a wooden surface, using tweezers. Snowflake designs visible on the strips.

Hands weave red and gray paper strips with snowflake patterns on a wooden surface, creating a textured, rustic craft.

I like to use a hemostat during this step because if I use my fingers and thumb it has a tendency to pull and tug on the fabric which stretches it out more than I like.

Hands folding a star with red and white snowflake-patterned paper on a wooden surface, using scissors. Crafting in progress.

Finishing the Scandinavian Folded Fabric Star Ornament:

Hands using an orange hot glue gun on fabric with scissors nearby on a wooden surface. Concentrated crafting activity.

Step 10: This is an optional step. I like to use fabric glue and secure the inside of each point as well as the long end that was tucked into the pocket. I allow the glue to dry.

Hands sew a patterned fabric star on a wooden surface with colorful stars in the background. Thimble and thread visible, crafting mood.

Hands crafting star ornaments with patterned fabrics on a wooden table. Green thread and tool visible. Creative and festive mood.

Step 11: We need to attach a hanger. Use embroidery floss or a thin sock yarn to sew on a loop, then hang it up! I like to use green floss because it blends into the tree, but you will also see that I have used coordinating colors to the ornaments. Both are stunning.