How to make a Christmas Star

1. Cut out 12 diamond shaped pieces of paper with 2 inch sides. If you do not already have a template from which to cut the
   diamonds, you can create one from a piece of cardboard.
   1. Draw a horizontal line of 2 inches on a piece of cardboard, and mark the centre point.
   2. Draw a vertical line up from the centre point of the horizontal line.
   3. Draw a diagonal line up from the left end of the horizontal line to the vertical line making sure this line is 2 inches long. Mark the centre point of this line.
   4. Draw another diagonal line, up from the right end point of the horizontal line, to the same point on the vertical
      line, as for the left diagonal line. You have now drawn a triangle.
   5. Draw a long diagonal line from the right end point of the horizontal line, through the centre point of the left diagonal line, so each side of the centre point is of equal length.
   6. Draw lines from the top end of the long diagonal, to the left and top points of the triangle. The line to the top point of the triangle should be horizontal.
   7. Cut around the diamond you have now drawn to create the template.
2. Cut out 12 diamond shaped pieces of fabric with 3 inch sides.
3. Tack each piece of diamond shaped fabric to each piece of triangular paper (Picture 2)
   1. Use tacking thread.
   2. Do not tie a knot at either end.
   3. At each point you will have a tail, do not cut this off.
   4. Make sure the fabric is snug around the paper.
   5. Sew with very small stitches.
   6. Do not stitch through the papers.
   7. Use a small needle of size 10 or 12.
4. Pair the tacked diamonds up. Take two of them, and sew one side of one diamond to one side of the other diamond. (Picture 3). Continue doing this for each pair of tacked diamonds to create 6 pairs.
5. Take another tacked diamond, and sew it to one side of one of the two diamonds already sewn together (Picture 4) to create a half star.
6. Repeat the previous two steps to make another half star.
7. Sew the two half stars together by stitching the long sides of each (Picture 5). You now have a full star.
8. Turn over the outside tails of each diamond, and sew them down.
9. Repeat steps 5 to 9 to make another full star.
10. When you have your two stars, sew them together, leaving two adjacent sides open (Picture 6).
11. Turn the star inside out, and take out the tacking, and then the papers.
12. Turn the star back, so it is no longer inside out, and stuff it with polyester wadding.
13. Fold a piece of ribbon in half, and place the two ends of the ribbon, inside the open point of the star (Picture 7).
14. Sew up the gap in the star with the ribbon ends inside.
15. Insert silver flowers onto center of star on either side (optional).