Homemade Moravian Star

As a native of Pennsylvania Dutch country, I grew up seeing Moravian Stars shaped lights hanging from porch stoop roofs and I have never stopped loving them. The Moravians were a Christian religious church that is about 500 years old and began in the the Czech Republic. The famous star, was said to have been born out of a geometry lesson at a Moravian boy's school in Germany in 1830. The Moravians settled places like Bethlehem and Nazareth, PA, and brought with them, their stars. They have become associated with the the Christmas season (Star of Bethlehem), but a lot of people hang these stars year round. I'm not sure if original star probably had 20 points or 26 but I was thrilled to find a template to make my own star from paper on lovelyetc.com

This tree topper actually has 19 points because there is a hole where the final point is missing, and that's the place where you can slide it onto the top of a tree. Each point is a pyramid of 3 triangles, each with a 2.5" base and 3.5" sides. There are 2 flaps on the bottom and one on the side. I used card stock of various colors and some patterned paper to cover most of the pyramids (before assembling). A strip of hot glue is all it takes to make each pyramid. 

You start with 5 pieces each attached on 2 sides to make a 5 pointed star. Each pyramid base will be attached at two sides.

The second layer will require a pyramid to be added at each of the remaining sides of the original star. Because each of those pyramids will have two remaining sides, there are a total of places to attach the next 5 pyramids. The 3rd layer will zig zag. You'll glue two sides of a new pyramid between each of the 2nd layer. The 4th and final grouping will fill in the final 5 pyramids at the bottom like the star of 5 at the top. Unless, like me, you'll need to leave a hole to make it a tree topper, in which case, you only add 4 pyramids. This picture, of my second star (this time I used glittery gold card stock) shows what it will look like after adding the 3rd group of 5 pyramids. You will have 5 tabs (or places to put a tab from another pyramid) at the opening.

I made more than one mistake my first try so I had to keep reminding myself to have pyramids coming together to make a star in every direction. Just play around and don't lose your temper, it will all work out. I cut a few little rectangles to make a tab on each side for the places where I had to cut them apart to add an extra pyramid here and there. 

I wasn't crazy about the little gaps that were left at the intersections, so I hot glued little beads to fill the holes. and I think the stars turned out really cute. I can't wait to see perched on a tree,  or a mantle.

For detailed instructions AND free template use this link below. Thank you, Carrie at Lovely etc.

https://www.lovelyetc.com/diy-christmas-tree-star/

Whoville Christmas Program Sets

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot. This year our school is performing a Grinch themed concert and so I was tasked with designing the Whoville sets. 

I sketched out some of Dr. Suess's house drawings, placed added some trees and mountains and projected them onto 8 foot panels. I had to outline them in black paint for my visually impaired students to see, and even then it was hard to differentiate from the gingerbread background that was already there, so I'd trace those with thicker color lines.

Within a couple of Friday afternoons, most of the painting was finished and we were able to use them as a backdrop for our "Santa and Mrs. Claus pictures" at the student Christmas party.

Meanwhile, I got word that I was on a team to help decorate an office space the Department of Education in Atlanta. Guess what the theme was? How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  So I spent a few afternoons creating cardboard cut outs of Whos.

My teammates stuffed Grinch pajamas with newspaper and added hands, feet, and a lower face using polar fleece that matched perfectly. They curled bulletin board paper for tree boughs, made a 3D paper roast beast, and printed labels for cans of who hash! The Grinch has a cane and is reading a Braille book, which is also a scratch and sniff book from 1970. It still smells! (No one will probably notice, but we get a kick out of little things like that).

Flat decorations were made tactile like garlands and snow (batting) were  glued to the "Welcome to Whoville" arch. We hung real ornaments on our paper trees. Glued yarn for hair, beards, and colors, buttons, pom-poms, and jingle bell for accessaries. 

 A couple of Whos and Max the dog as a portion of our office hallway to deck.

Of course the sets eventually made it to the stage. We painted colorful cobblestone walkways with snow in between on the stage floor. Now we just wait for the giant Whoville backdrop and the Grinch to show up for this week's performance.