I’ve always admired mid-century starburst wall sculptures. Made of brass or occasionally gilded metal, they seem to provide a burst of warmth, energy and optimism wherever they appear. Last week I made a constellation of Holiday decorations inspired by these classics, but out of much humbler materials –brown wrapping paper, hot glue and spray paint. They’re surprisingly easy to put together, and I think the result is pretty convincing. The rough texture of the paper gives the metallic paint a soft warm quality –like gilded bronze on a budget.
This is a good all-family project. Children about six and older can help with the overall design and folding and cutting the paper. Hot glue and spray paint, though, are materials that should be handled only by adults.
Instructions follow.
Instructions
Materials
brown wrapping or construction paper (available from any hardware store or online)
scissors
utility knife
cardboard (any kind)
hot glue gun and glue sticks
metallic gold spray paint (from any hardware or craft store)
1. Cut cardboard more or less into a circle, the size of which will depend on the size of your starburst. (Don’t worry about neatness –it will be covered completely by the paper rays.)
2. Fold rectangles of the paper in half and then trim them to the length of your rays and half of their width at their bases. Then on the diagonal to form long triangles with a crease down the center.
3. Hot glue each ray onto the cardboard center in a radial pattern, completely covering the cardboard.
4. Repeat with layers of shorter triangles until you reach the center. You can make all of the rays in each layer identical, but I think some variety in length and thickness here makes the piece more interesting.
5. To make the rays near the center of the starburst point outward, cut a 1/2″ to 1″ slit along the crease at the base of the ray. Then overlap the tabs formed on either side of this cut and secure them with a dot of hot glue. The more the tabs overlap, the more the ray will bend outward. Hot glue the ray in place like the others.
With four layers of rays, you’ll have a beautiful, three-dimensional starburst. (Of course, you can go supernova with six or seven layers. I’ve found that ordinary brown construction paper will work for rays up to about 18″ long. Much longer, and they get too flimsy.)
6. To finish, spray with metallic gold spray paint. (Please use this outdoors or in a very well ventilated space and away from young children.)
