Once upon a time, on Christmas holidays, dressed-up children walked around the villages and caroled. Among the carolers were those who carried a star on a pole, and sometimes there were several such children. Now old traditions are being revived, albeit not quite in their original form. But today, just like in the old days, many make the Star of Bethlehem with their own hands. Almost any improvised material is suitable for this.

Meeting of three traditions

The Slavs had a tradition of caroling from ancient times. Other peoples of Europe have similar customs, but Christians outside Europe do not have them. The situation is quite different among the Gentiles.

In the pre-Christian era, people attached great importance to the moon and the sun. This did not depend on the existence of a written calendar: the economic year was determined precisely by the heavenly bodies and the weather. Economic and everyday practice was closely connected with certain rituals, and such events as the days of the equinox and solstice were of particular importance in the life of a pagan.

Time and the annual cycle were interpreted mythologically. So, after the winter solstice, holidays dedicated to the young sun began. Holidays were accompanied by folk festivals and divination.

Among the Slavs, the name "Kolyada" was attached to such holidays. Apparently, this Latin borrowing penetrated into the Proto-Slavic language in antiquity. The contacts of the Slavs with the empire were limited by the "Amber Road"; the main places of their settlement were far beyond the periphery of Rome. Nevertheless, the Slavs were familiar with the Roman winter holidays, which ended in the January kalends. This is evidenced by the very word "Kolyada" - this is a direct borrowing from the Latin language, bypassing the Greek.

Other important event that happened at that time, it was Christmas. The Gospel of Matthew tells of the adoration of the Magi. They came from the east to the place where Jesus was born. It was not easy to find him, because there were no places in the hotels of the city of Bethlehem, and Mary gave birth to Jesus in a camp where a herd of sheep spent the night. His first cradle was a nursery. The way for the Magi was shown by a star that lit up brightly that night and stopped over the place where Joseph and Mary stopped. It happened 12 days after Christmas.

star of bethlehem for Christians, it became the fulfillment of a prophecy that appeared in the Book of Numbers and thus became entrenched in the Christian tradition. Iconostases were decorated with an eight-pointed star, and a four-pointed star was placed on a diskos in the altar.

Finally, on Christmas holidays, a Christmas tree was decorated with a star, and having put a star on a pole, children carried it along the evening streets. They sang carols and praised Christ, and the owners of the houses put gifts in a bag for them. This plot is very familiar to people from Gogol's book "The Night Before Christmas".

So three traditions were combined in Christmas carols: pagan, Roman and Christian. It cannot be said that such customs are only Slavic. Walking with a star is also characteristic of the Germans, Romanians, Finns and Scandinavian peoples. Christianity at one time did not destroy pagan customs, but adapted them to its own calendar.

Creating a star from improvised material

Once upon a time, peasant children did not think that they needed to buy something to make a star. Usually it was made from a sieve and straw, and colored rags served as decoration. Now home baking is losing popularity, and, probably, not all modern children know what a sieve is. And finding straw in regions where bread is not grown is a great success. But do not lose heart: in city apartments and nearby shops there is everything you need. A star can be made from the following materials:

• paper and cardboard;
• fiberboard and plywood;
• polystyrene foam.

Paper stars are very good as house decorations before Christmas, and you can go caroling with plywood and foam stars. However, in order not to spoil the material, it is better to start with templates.

Paper, pencil and scissors

It is traditionally believed that the Star of Bethlehem was eight-pointed. Where people got this from is not entirely clear: nowhere in the Gospel is this mentioned. But tradition is tradition, so it’s worth starting with just such a star.

A large stencil can be made from two rectangles. Their length to width ratio should be 1:0.41. This is because the diagonals of such a rectangle intersect at an angle of 45 degrees. If we combine the centers of two such rectangles, placing the figures perpendicular to each other, then their vertices will be the vertices of the rays. The points of intersection of the sides will be the bases of these rays.

You can do it even easier by laying two identical squares on top of each other so that their diagonals are at the same angle - 45 degrees. In this case, the bases of the rays can be made wherever you want. It will be enough to use a compass and a ruler. After marking the template, you need to glue it, draw the contours of the rays and cut it out.

Templates for small stars can be made from a folded sheet. You need to fold it 5 times, and then make an oblique cut. After unfolding, a ready-made star stencil is obtained for cutting out of paper. Templates can be made in different sizes.

Such simple ways you can make four-pointed and six-pointed stars. But for those who want to make a stencil for a five-pointed one, you can advise a protractor.

You should not limit your imagination. With the help of a protractor and a ruler, you can make a wide variety of patterns, for example, with rays of different lengths.

Volumetric cardboard crafts

Some decorations can be made without templates. First of all, this concerns voluminous crafts"Star of Bethlehem" from colored cardboard. The absence of the need for a stencil is explained by the fact that the folds in such sprockets will be needed. To make jewelry you will need colored paper or cardboard, scissors and glue. Step-by-step instruction Togo, how to make a christmas star out of paper looks like this:

Very valuable advice: it is better to shape a star on a flat surface. So the back side will be more even, and it will be easier to glue the other half to it.

If you need star decorations that will be glued to a wall or frame, then it is better to use stencils in the form of stars for paper cutting. It’s easier to make them according to the template, and most importantly, they will look neater.

Styrofoam, fiberboard and plywood

FROM paper star it is difficult to walk caroling - it is not durable. But a more solid product can be installed on a pole. This is where templates come in handy. In addition, an electric jigsaw is useful for cutting a star out of plywood or fiberboard: of course, you can cut it by hand, but it will take time. Styrofoam can be used as usual stationery knife.

Among all the templates, the best ones are those in which one beam is different from the others, it should be longer. Although no strict rules not here, the shape of the star can be arbitrary.

A template is superimposed on the plywood, and the contour of the star is outlined on it. To cut, insert a file with small teeth into the jigsaw: it will not tear the material. After sawing, the edges should be treated with sandpaper so as not to be scratched when decorating. But it will be made at the end, but for now, you can attach the workpiece to a wooden pole with a self-tapping screw.

Styrofoam star is easier to make. She has three advantages over the plywood option:

1. manufacturing does not require special tools;
2. light weight;
3. anything can be used as a pole, even an aluminum handle from an old mop - it is enough to bring it into the thickness of the material.

You can cut a star out of polystyrene with a clerical knife, and if the sheet is thick, then it is better to use a regular hacksaw: this material is sawn very easily. After cutting out the contour, you can give the star a relief, however, if the sheet thickness is small or the material has large grains, then you can limit yourself to decor.

star decoration

The decor of the star of Bethlehem is limited only by fantasy. It can be painted, glued with paper, sheathed with colored fabric, glued with a self-adhesive film. Some people like solid stars, although more often you can find all the colors of the rainbow on them.

Very often, the rays and the middle of the star are decorated in different ways. Most likely, this is due to the ancient method of making it from a sieve and straw. Sometimes even an icon could be found in the middle, while the rays were painted with intricate patterns. As for other decor, there are many options for it, for example:

• bells at the ends of the rays;
• Christmas tinsel along the contour;
• tapes hanging down;
• patchwork pattern;
• brushes;
• sequins and beads.

The traditional dominant colors in the design were red and yellow. In any case, it is they who are found in the paintings dedicated to caroling in pre-revolutionary times.

You can fix the decorative elements with both glue and threads, if fabric is used. Decorations are fastened to a product made of plywood or fiberboard with paper clips using a furniture stapler.

Paint is the easiest and available method star of bethlehem decorations. Best suited for this are water-based or acrylic paints. But it is better to refuse the use of nitro enamels when it comes to polystyrene: the acetone contained in the cans dissolves the polystyrene foam.

A good illustration of the diversity of Bethlehem stars is the Kiev Christmas procession:

Sometimes fantasy can go very far:

How much such complex compositions need to be done is a matter of taste. More often, you can limit yourself to a simple flat asterisk pasted over with shiny paper, and a geometric pattern or Christmas tree tinsel will suffice as a decor. As they say, modestly, but with taste.

Using an old sieve

No need to throw it away: there is a chance to make a Christmas star the old-fashioned way. In addition to the sieve itself, you will also need a rope and long strong torches. If desired, they can be replaced with wire rod, but then the sprocket will weigh a lot. Splinters should be long, about 80 centimeters, and 4 pieces will be needed for each beam.

First, the rim of the sieve must be divided into 8 equal parts. In each part, 4 holes are made, which are arranged in the form of a square or rectangle. In a pair of squares lying opposite each other, a hole is made inside, it should be larger: a pole will be inserted there.

After that, torches are inserted into the holes. At one end they should rest against the sieve wall, while the others will stick out. Their ends are connected in fours - this is how rays are formed. Inside the sieve, the torches should be fixed with a rope.

After the frame is ready, you can skip the pole into it, which rests against the top of the upper beam, and start decorating. Inside the sieve you need to glue a cardboard circle. Its diameter should initially exceed the diameter of the sieve. Teeth are cut along the edges of the circle, bent, after which the circle is glued inward. The rim is made of colored paper, and a reproduction of the icon of the Mother of God is placed inside.

Rays are decorated with paper or colored rags- with what is at hand. You can put bells or tassels on their ends. The star is ready.

Now you can gather a company, get costumes of animals - for some reason, in old pictures there are always a goat and a bear among them - and go caroling. Well, so that this process does not resemble begging, it is worth learning a certain number of carols.

Attention, only TODAY!

Irina Komarova

I offer you the easiest way. do-it-yourself christmas(Bethlehem) paper stars with older children

At the beginning of the lesson, the children were shown a presentation « star of bethlehem» . I invited them to make their own star.

Several pictures were considered with the image Christmas star. We put in a little imagination and this is what we came up with.

phased manufacturing

You do not need to draw anything with a compass, build complex calculations. All you need is 1 square sheet paper(color papers of your choice) .

square sheet paper fold in half and get a rectangle

Fold the rectangle in half to get a square.

And add it again, and you get a triangle

We draw sharp ends as shown in the photo

Cut and unfold

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Soon Christmas - a traditional Christian holiday, usually celebrated in the family circle and full of evangelical symbolism. Many Christmas elements have become familiar New Year ones: candles, a green Christmas tree as a symbol eternal life, decorations in the form of a star and angels, etc. Therefore, decorating your home (apartment or house) for Christmas, we simply complement the existing christmas decor separate elements. As you might guess, today we are discussing crafts for Christmas 2019 with our own hands.

Nowadays, almost all decor elements can be purchased at the appropriate stores, but many prefer to make them with their own hands, realizing Creative skills and love for needlework. Here are a few ideas to help you get ready for the long-awaited holiday.

As usual, when creating crafts, we will do without expensive materials and complex processes. Tools are also familiar and we hope you know how to handle them properly. In any case, our ideas will help you creatively organize your leisure time, spend time interestingly and profitably.

Christmas wreath, usually decorating front door, came to us from the West, but perfectly fit into the Orthodox and secular traditions and can be used both as a hanging decoration, and as a decoration for candles or a separate decorative element.

To make a Christmas wreath, you will need a round ring base of a suitable size, usually made of thick cardboard, less often from other materials, such as flexible branches, twisted and tied together: metal and plastic rings are not considered a suitable base, but no one bothers you to use and them. The next step is to design this very ring: it is best to first wrap it with a fabric or lace ribbon of a color suitable for the main decorative element, then with hot glue, threads or thin copper wire(can be combined) fasten decor - sprigs of needles, beads, bows, ribbons, pine or fir cones etc. The more imagination, the better and more original, the presented photos can serve as both a source of inspiration and a model for you.

The star of Bethlehem is a symbol of Byzantium, which is more than two thousand years old. The mysterious celestial body is so beautiful that poets tirelessly describe it, paint artists, paint icons. The eight-pointed star, a symbol of the Birth of Christ, was given to children for the Christmas holidays, it was used to decorate the top of the New Year tree, hung on the front door, which symbolized peace, kindness and hospitality. The star is also used as an element in decorating and creating iconostases. Despite the fact that today there is no shortage in stores Christmas decorations and various crafts, we will try to tell you how and from what you can independently make a symbol of Christmas, because everyone knows that what is made by oneself is much more valuable, since we put our soul into it. So, consider the manufacture of crafts of the Star of Bethlehem.

paper star

One of the easiest and most affordable materials for crafts is paper.

You can use any: colored, corrugated, thick, newspaper, and even from under the boxes. Manufacturing does not require any special skills and devices. Everything is very simple. We arm ourselves with pencils, scissors and glue.

Let's move on to the master class:

1. For one paper star, you will need two square blanks of equal sizes. Fold the paper as shown in the picture;
2. Next, measure a distance equal to half the length of the line from the center itself, make cuts on the folds;
3. Form cones in the form of a triangle from the incised edges, smearing the sides with glue in advance, and fasten the parts of the square to each other;
4. One of the components of the star is ready. Do the same with the other and glue the blanks together.

new year symbol

At the beginning of the article, we mentioned that you can decorate not only the Christmas tree with a star, but also the front door. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to make a Styrofoam Star.

For this we need:

• a piece of foam (arbitrary size, depends on how much you want to get a star at the end of the master class);
• compass;
• pencil;
• stationery knife and scissors;
• thick paper;
• glue;
• wrapping paper or foil (all the wealth that is in stock from past holidays).

So let's get started.

The most important thing is to cut out the base for the star from the foam. At this stage, you can use the template, but do not worry if you do not have one, in this master class we will tell you how to make a blank yourself. Take a compass and draw two circles. Their diameters are 20 and 40 cm. Next, measure seven equal parts along the circles and draw rays from the center to them.

Then, draw lines that will connect the base to the ends of the corners, and cut the workpiece strictly along the contour.

Prepare the decorated paper and cut out the details to the size of the center and rays. Glue the rays, and then the missing details. To wrapping not frayed, go along the contour with a beautiful cord, cloth or thicker paper, cut to size and stick. Decorate the tops of our beautiful star with bells.

You can finish the work when you decide for yourself that your work is sufficiently decorated. Apply all your flight of fancy in this master class, you can glue beads, wrap rays with tinsel and even decorate with neon ribbon.

miracle of bethlehem

Another original way the creation of a star is a straw.

This time the process will be somewhat laborious, but will not lose its fascination at all, it is more convenient to create if you repeat everything in four hands.

What will be required? We stock up on straws, a hammer, a plank, carnations, a thick thread, a pencil, a ruler.

Place the board as shown in the picture. Count 50 straws and arrange them next to each other on a tight thread. Tie them in the middle, forming a blank in the form of a bow. While one of you ties in the middle with a thread, the other straightens the ends in opposite directions. Now, without releasing the middle of the part, try to make a circle out of the “bow”. Then, fasten all the straws with a thread, as tightly as possible in relation to each other. To make it easier, drive a carnation in the very center, which will secure the craft in place.

Now tie the remaining straws in the center. The sticks are tied together, forming them in several pieces. Well, our symbol is ready, it remains to form the long rays of the star, for which it is necessary to break the straw in half and along the edges, forming corners. These rays are inserted into the gaps between the ends of the straws. The corners are also knitted with a thread.

The points of the rays can be decorated with small Christmas balls, painted in any color, or decorate the core of a star. Such crafts will not only complement the pastime of adults, but also give children genuine joy and involvement in an interesting process.

Video on the topic of the article

Christmas star poinsettia made of paper. Templates and master class

Poinsettia, beautiful spurge, Christmas star, christmas flower... as soon as they call this amazing, the brightest and most beautiful plant, which has a rare feature with its scarlet flowering to delight us in cold winter months of the year. Not everyone has the opportunity to acquire and care for this flower (I am no exception), which is very capricious and requires thorough regular care. But I will not be distracted by crop production, because I want to offer you to create poinsettia flowers from paper, by the way, you will not need stamps for work. Poinsettia petals can be printed on a printer and cut with nail scissors

Why use my idea? Oh ... there are a lot of ideas: decorate a Christmas tree or any New Year's composition, decorate a gift in an original way, make festive garland to make a postcard self made and so on. By the way, about the gifts that it is time for us to buy in huge quantities, because I want to congratulate and not leave any of my loved ones unattended) Take a look at the pages of vsezaskidkoi.ru, here you will find coupons, promotional codes, discounts, gifts ... Service " VsezaSkidkoy" will help you save your money in any kind of shopping through virtual online stores. Here in the catalog there are all known online stores, with a variety of goods.

For work we need:

scrapbooking paper, green and red

rubber mat, scrapbooking stack, spoon, nail scissors, glue, glitter, gold beads and good mood in anticipation of the upcoming holiday)