Christmas · Crafts
A tiny forest of folded paper trees
Accordion folds, paper scraps and a little patience: a miniature Christmas forest for a shelf or gift-wrapping table.
Gather your paper forest
For three small trees, gather light cardstock in green, cream or blush, a ruler, scissors, pencil, glue stick and three small rectangles of sturdy card for bases. Heavy cardstock is harder to fold. Adults should handle cutting tools and keep small offcuts away from young children.
Fold one rectangle first
Start with a rectangle about 4 × 6 inches. With the short edge nearest you, accordion-fold back and forth across the 6-inch length in roughly 1/2-inch sections. Keep the creases parallel. Flatten the accordion back out and draw a large triangle: the point at the center of one 4-inch edge, with the base on the opposite edge.
Cut, refold and test
Cut out the triangle while the paper is flattened. Refold along your existing creases, then gently open it until it resembles a pleated tree. Make a test with scrap paper first; the shape is a handmade interpretation, not a precision engineered template. Trim carefully if one side is uneven.
Give it somewhere to stand
Fold a small cardstock support into an L shape, with one side flat on the base card and the other against the back of the tree. Glue both contact areas and let them dry before moving the tree. Adjust the support angle until stable. Use a wider base for taller trees, or display the trees flat as gift toppers.
Style a small forest
Repeat with different rectangle sizes, keeping the smallest tree in front. Add tiny drawn dots or a paper star if you like. Display on a shelf away from candles, heaters and food. Photograph the finished set at eye level so the folds catch the window light.
If standing trees feel fiddly, glue the pleated shapes onto greeting cards. The same folds make a beautiful flat project.
Feeling Crafty · feelingcrafty.net/ideas/folded-paper-tree-forest/ · For the joy of making
