Paper Globe Ornament or Centerpiece (Great way to recycle old Calendars, Cards, or Photos)

Paper Globe Ornament using old calendars. (Artwork (c) Kristen Stein, StudioArtworks.com)

Wondering what to do with your old calendar, christmas cards, or extra photos? Here's a great, and EASY, craft that you and the kids can do this holiday season.  In this example, I used images cut from my old 2010 and 2011 calendars. But you can use any type of paper. For holiday ornaments, I think the old calendars and old Christmas cards make a great paper source as it provides dated papers that add a nostalgic feel when trimming the tree each year! Try mixing family photos with family Christmas cards, to make a great family-themed Holiday ornament. They all look great when finished!!


What you'll need:

20 circles from your paper source (I used a 2" paper punch to make perfect circles, but you can cut them free hand as well.)
(*Note - Smaller globes can be made by using just 8 of the circles.)

Glue (I used modpodge with a brush, but my 7yo used Glue Dots and they worked perfectly.)

Thin Ribbon (for hanging the globe as an ornament)

Paper Clips (If you use regular glue, modpodge, or a glue stick, I'd suggest having paper clips on hand to hold the paper together. This is especially useful on glossy paper such as shiny calendar sheets, cards and photos.)

That's all! So, let's get started.

First cut your 20 circles.

First, cut your 20 circles from your paper source. I used my old 2010 and 2011 calendars.  (Here's a link to this year's calendar if you are interested.) Any size circle will work and larger circles will make larger globes or centerpieces.  For the globe ornaments that I made, I used about a 2 inch circle.

Fold each of the 20 circles to form equally-sized triangles.

Fold each of the 20 circles so that they form a triangle. For my 7yo, I made a small triangular template that she folded her circles up against. This made it easier for her.  But, once you've folded a few, you'll know approximately how much of each edge you need to fold to make the triangular shape in the center.  Fold from the frontside of the image, so that the backsides will touch each other when glued.

Stack of 20 'triangles" created by folding the circles.

Once you have all 20 "triangles" formed from the circles, we're ready to start gluing.  If you use a liquid glue, glue stick, or mod podge, have paper clips ready to hold your work in place.  My daughter used glue dots and they worked great to hold the paper together. Glue dots are a convenient, easy-to-use, no-mess adhesive. We love it!

Create the top by choosing 5 folded circles.

To start making your globe, choose a selection from 5 of your folded circles.  Place them next to each other with all 5 pointing toward the center.Now start gluing each one side to side, being sure to keep the points in the center.

Start gluing them together

When you get to the 5th section, add glue to both sides and glue to each of the other folded circles by creating a slightly domed "top".

Make two 5-piece for the top and bottom of the globe ornament.

You will want to make a total of two of these 5-piece sections.  These will serve as the top and bottom of your globe or centerpiece.

Remaining 10 alternate to make the center section of the globe.

The remaining 10 folded circles will now make up the center section of the globe.  Lay the 10 remaining folded circles on your work space with the points and flat-edges alternating.  This will form a line of 10 triangles side by side.  Make sure to alternate between the point at the top and the flat-edge on the top because you want them to wrap-around the ornament.

Glue the remaining 10 together to form a line.

Glue these together and use your paper clips, if needed. You should now have a line of 10 sections all glued together to form a line.

 

The center section.

Now wrap your line of 10 around to form a circle. Glue the two edges together and you should have a perfect center piece to match with your tops and bottoms that you created above.

Center section and top attached.

 Match up the top with the center piece and glue edges together. Again use paper clips if the glue is making the papers slip around too easily.

Globe viewed from the inside. Top and center glued together.

If you wanted to stop here, you'd have a cute little 'bowl" that might make for a fun centerpiece for displaying candies, etc.  Also, at this point in the project, you could put lightweight gifts or surprises inside and build the rest of the globe around it. This would make a wonderful handmade gift box for something special!

But, we're going to keep working on it to make a globe ornament. So, let's move ahead.

Add a ribbon if you'd like to create a globe ornament.

Now it's time to add a ribbon. (If you want to create an orb centerpiece, you can skip this part about the ribbon.) You can tie the ribbon into any open 'gap' in the ornament. Normally I just use the center hole on the remaining 5-piece section that we haven't yet glued onto the globe.  In this particular picture, I had a larger gap on the center section, so I decided to add the ribbon to the larger gap that was already created. So, I tied a knot in a ribbon and then taped it inside the globe. Tuck the ribbon in between the gaps created from the folded circles and get ready to glue the remaining 5-piece section onto the globe.

All 20 pieces glued together.

DONE! Now you have your 20 circles glued together to create a wonderfully dimensional globe of mixed papers. I love how the calendar creates a dated Holiday ornament that can be treasured year after year. Leave the paper clips in place until you are sure that the glue is dried. Once removed you'll have a beautiful ornament that can be kept for yourself, or shared with others!

The finished paper globe ornament.

*NOTE: Smaller globes can be made with as few as 8 circles.  Just fold them as triangles and glue 4 together for the top, and 4 together for the bottom. Add a ribbon and glue the top to the bottom. Having a variety of different size globes makes for a fun, eye-catching assortment!

 If you decide to make one of these globe ornaments or centerpieces, please post a picture here in my blog, send it to me on twitter, or post it on my facebook page. . I'd love to see it.

HAVE FUN! Hope you find this tutorial useful! -kristen (StudioArtworks.com)