Origami Tree Ornaments

These fun 3D paper diamond ornaments don't take long to make. Start with the side of paper you want to show, side up on the table, and fold it diagonally in half, one direction and then another to make a big "X".

 Then put the fight side down and fold the paper in half horizontally, open it, and then fold it in half half again, vertically to make a cross (or plus sign)

With the right side up, push in on opposite diagonals until a square (1/4th of the paper size) is formed and push down

Keep the open side pointed towards you on the table. 

Bring the top right folded edge to the center line, making sure there is a point at the top, and then crease. Repeat on the left to make a kite shape, and then flip it over and repeat on the that side. You should end up with an upside down diamond shape. 

Slide your finger into one of the into one of the of the side folds to open it up in a cone. You are basically moving one of the inner folds to the opposite sides.

 

Once every fold alternates in and out, in and out, going around, cut off the bottom part of the triangle, which is the back of the paper, leaving only the long triangle. Then take each corner on an outward fold and push it to the inside to make another counter fold, these little diamond shaped folds are where the glue will be applied. 

Two contrasting folded pieces can be fit together loosely before using a hot glue gun to work one section at a time. It is a little tricky, so be patient. I find it is a little more sturdy if one of the pieces is made of cardstock.

The pieces won't fit perfectly, but don't sweat it. The more of them you make, the more consistent the angles of your folds will be.  I ended up hot gluing a bead to the top of each ornament to string a loop of twine or yarn. I can't wait to see them all hanging from a tree!









 

Orange Slice Ornaments

 Orange slices are easy to dry and are a fun way to decorate a tree on a budget. I bought four oranges for $4 and was able to get about 8 slices per orange. They should be 1/4 inch thick. They can dry on a cookie tray, and baked in an oven at 175 to 190 degrees for 3-4 hours. Turn every hour. Slow and steady is probably best. If they are not completely dry, you can set them out overnight and if they're still a little sticky, put them back in the oven for another hour, but keep checking on them every 15 minutes because it doesn't take long at that stage for them to start to brown. Once a string is thread through the orange rind,  it's pretty much an ornament but you can get fancy by hot gluing rosemary or cinnamon to the orange, or by adding beads and ribbon to the string. They smell great and when set near a light give a glowing, stained glass affect.