Stars (Sterne) are a must when decorating for Christmas, not just in the U.S. but also in Germany. The star symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem that the three wise men followed to find Jesus.
There are several different kinds of star decorations you might find in a German household: Fröbelsterne (Nordic Stars), Herrnhuter Sterne (Moravian Stars), or Strohsterne (straw stars). This article focuses on the first, the Fröbelstern.
Fröbelsterne
Fröbelsterne, also called German stars or Nordic stars, are made from four same length paper strips and folded into a three dimensional star. These geometric shapes probably come from Scandinavia where you find references to them before 1800.
They are called Fröbelsterne in German after the educator and Kindergarten inventor Friedrich Fröbel (1782-1852). An important part of Fröbel’s pedagogy was the development of fine motor skills through crafts. To fold these kinds of paper stars definitely requires good coordination and fine motor skills.
Follow the video to make your own stars to hang on your tree or turn them into gift tags. You can use smaller or bigger paper strips, just make sure you get the ratio of 1:25 or 1:30 right. This means that if your paper is 30cm long it should be roughly 1cm wide.
Sources and Resources
- Fröbelstern – Wiki
- Friedrich Fröbel – Wiki
- Anleitung
- Anleitung zum Runterladen (PDF)
- Buy paper here: Bethlehem Paper Co
- Buy paper or stars here: Origami Joy
