Taking inspiration from the movie Elf, these hanging decorations have been made by kids everywhere in school – or they were when I was in school anyway.

Cheap, simple and creative, the art of folding a piece of paper in to quarters and cutting out shapes to form a snowflake, angel or other festive design has been around for many years.

After cutting whatever pattern you want in to the paper, they can then be folded out to reveal a decorative piece of art.

By creating a large number of these hanging decorations, tying string through them and dangling from the ceiling (or other high object), you can create a very festive and unique look in a room for very little expense.

On this still taken from the movie Elf, you can see the effect in the background hanging from the ceiling.

Step-by-Step

1) First, gather up the equipment you need. That will be:

– Some paper – any colour you like, but white works well. The thinner recycled paper is a great idea as it’s cheaper too.
– Scissors – children’s scissors may be preferable if kiddies are having a go
– String
– Imagination

2) Simply fold your sheet of paper down to quarter size, thus creating four equal sheets.

3) Next, you can either sketch a design to follow on to your paper, or just start cutting the shape you wish! Be as adventurous and creative as you like.

4) Once finished, unfold your paper and marvel at what has been created.

5) Finally, thread some strings through one of the holes in the paper, and attach to the ceiling/high structure desired with something like blutac, masking tape, etc.
As with all our activities, child supervision is recommended!