Fun
How to fold an origami lucky star
Fold the puffy five-pointed lucky star from a single strip of paper — knot it into a pentagon, wrap it up and pinch the edges to puff it out.
Lucky star
Easyabout 3 minutes6 stepsPaper: A strip about 1.5 × 30 cm (1/2 × 12 in) — cut from A4 or Letter
Make a loop near one end of the strip and pass the short end through it, as if you were tying a loose knot.
Swipe the diagram or use the ← → keys. Space plays and pauses.
Paper colour
Print all steps
2 pages, six steps to a page, in the paper colour you picked.
Reading the diagrams
- - - valley fold (towards you) · -·-· mountain fold (away) · thin grey lines are creases already made. Arrows show where the paper goes; a hollow arrow means push in.
All steps
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Frequently asked questions
Which star is this?
This page shows the lucky star (sometimes called a wishing star): a small puffy five-pointed star made from a strip rather than a square. It is not a flat ninja star (shuriken), which is folded from two squares.
How long should the strip be?
The usual proportion is about 1 to 20 — for example 1.5 cm × 30 cm or 1 cm × 20 cm. A longer strip makes more wraps and a firmer star; a shorter one makes a softer star. Wider strips make bigger stars.
Why does my pentagon come out lopsided?
The knot was pulled too tight or too loose. Tighten it gently until the edges lie flat and the five sides look equal, and crease each edge before you start wrapping. Each wrap should follow an edge exactly, never cross the middle.
How do I puff the star?
Hold the pentagon between finger and thumb and press the middle of one edge inwards with a fingernail, so the edge dents and the faces bulge. Turn the star and repeat on all five edges. If it will not puff, the wrapping may be too tight — the next star can be wrapped a little more loosely.
What are lucky stars for?
Jars of lucky stars are a popular handmade gift in East Asia and beyond: people fold a star for each wish or message, sometimes writing it on the strip first, or fill a jar with 365 stars — one for each day of the year.
About this tool
The lucky star is a tiny, satisfying model that needs no square at all, only a strip of paper. You tie the strip into a loose knot that flattens into a regular pentagon, wrap the long end round and round that pentagon, tuck in the end and then pinch the edges so the star puffs out into five rounded points.
The diagrams show each stage clearly: the loose knot, the flat pentagon, the tail tucked away, the strip wrapping along the edges, and the final push that turns a flat pentagon into a three-dimensional star. Arrows show which way the strip goes and where to press.
Stars folded from patterned or metallic strips make bright decorations, and a jar of them makes a thoughtful gift. Choose a paper colour to match your strips, and download the steps as a PDF for US Letter or A4 to fold a whole batch away from the screen.
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