Difficulty Rating -

This three dimensional ball can be made from crape paper or tissue paper. The ball is made to hang from the ceiling or miniature balls can be hung on the Christmas tree.

To make a paper Christmas ball decoration you will need...

Crape paper or tissue paper, thin card, parcel ribbon or string, Prit stick glue and a stapler.

How to make it...
Draw around a plate (or something else that's round) onto the thin card and cut it out. Fold the circle in half and cut along the fold to create two semicircles.

Draw around one of the semicircles onto a piece of scrap paper, this will be the template. From top to bottom of the 'D' shape rule straight across so that they are evenly spaced. For a large ball, a ruler width is ideal. You will need a minimum of 3 lines.

Using one of the thin card semicircles as a stencil cut out 30 semicircles of crape or tissue paper. You could use one colour or two contrasting colours or a whole spectrum of colours. It's up to you.

To stick the ball pieces together...

Take the template with ruled lines and put a thin card piece on top of the template to fit on top of the drawn semicircle. With Prit stick glue draw down the straight edge of the semicircle and along every other ruled line from the top. Then stick a coloured piece of tissue or crape paper onto the glue. Press firmly.

Now with the Prit stick glue draw a line down the straight edge and draw a line of glue on the second ruled line and every other line after that. Stick a coloured piece of tissue or crape paper onto the glue and press firmly.

Continue in this way adding layers of tissue or crape paper alternating the template gluing lines.

When all the coloured paper has been used apply one last layer of glue and stick the last semicircle of thin card on the top.

Leave to one side to allow the glue to dry.

Add some lengths of ribbon, half way down the curve of the semicircle. Tie a knot in the end of the ribbon and staple into place. The knot prevents the ribbon from sliding out from under the staples.

Staple a loop of ribbon at the top of one of the card semicircles, again using a knot in the ribbon as an anchorage. This is the hanging loop.

With the 'D' structure in your hands with the curve side facing you, open it as if it were a book and fold it back on itself so that the two thin card pieces meet. Tie the ribbons on the side in a bow to keep the ball shape in place and hang your ball from the tree or ceiling.

After Christmas untie the bow and fold flat to easily store your paper Christmas decoration.

Try making other shapes too - you could make a star, a heart, a square, a flower or maybe an apple.