What I really wanted was a Tanabata wish tree - but lacking a bamboo tree, or a tree of any kind - I thought it would be fun to incorporate colourful tanzaku (strips of paper) into a fun papercraft decoration.
Want to make your own? You will need:
- colourful origami paper. I used 7.5cm (3") 50 Colour Origami.
- a few colours of washi tape
- chipboard or other flexible thick paper
- small hole punch
- fishing line or thread / twine / string of your choice
Cut a chipboard strip approximately 2cm (7/8") wide by 33cm (13") long. Join the two ends of the chipboard strip to form a circle or hoop and secure with washi tape. Decorate the paper hoop with washi tape.
Cut the origami paper in half and hole punch one side as per the above image.
If you'd like to write wishes on your paper, now's the time to do it! Decide how many strips of paper you'd like to use and punch the same number of holes around one side of your hoop. Try to space them evenly.
Using fishing line (or the string of your choice) attach the strips of paper to the hoop.
That's the basic form of this decoration - now use your imagination to make it your own. Hang multiple hoops together to create long mobiles or create a topper to hang your hoop from. Mainly, have a little fun and use lots of colour - because that's what Tanabata decorations are all about!
Want more Tanabata fun? Find traditional decoration ideas here!
Want more Tanabata fun? Find traditional decoration ideas here!
