DIY Paper Honeycomb Christmas Ornaments: Whimsical Retro Tutorial

If you love decorating with whimsical retro ornaments, you will love these DIY paper honeycomb Christmas ornaments. They are easy to make with inexpensive, colorful paper and instantly give your home a vintage vibe. Honeycomb paper ornaments, first introduced in the early 1900s, are trending with the resurgence of retro Christmas. I’ve included four unique patterns and step-by-step instructions to keep you and your family entertained and excited to show off your creations. Let me show you these ornaments that are easy to make.

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What Are Paper Honeycomb Ornaments?

Paper honeycomb ornaments were first patented in Germany in the late 1800’s. Manufacturing began in America around 1910, and the rest is history. They have recently made a resurgence along with many other retro decorations. The 3-D paper ornaments add a whimsical feel to your Christmas tree decorations and look beautiful on adorning gift packages and holiday garlands.

Supplies

You only need a few supplies to create stunning paper honeycomb Christmas decorations.

• Colorful Paper
• Hot Glue Gun
• Printer
• Scissors
• Ribbon or Twine
• Paper Clips
• Craft Clips
• Stapler
• Optional (beads, stars, etc., embellishments)
• Optional Silhouette or Cricut for creating cutting designs

Paper Honeycomb Patterns

I created four different patterns for the paper honeycombs. You can print the patterns as they are or increase the sizes. I usually only print one copy for each ornament. I’ll show you how to cut all the needed pieces with just one printed copy below.

Step 1 – Download and Print Patterns

To begin making honeycomb ornaments, click the above link and download the patterns to your computer or phone. Click and print the patterns you want to make. Print one sheet for every ornament you want to create. You can print on colored paper or white.

Step 2 – Cut Pattern

Each ornament will require 18 – 24 pieces of each pattern. Each pattern has six or more per page. Therefore, you will need three sheets of the same color paper per ornament. If you increase the size of the ornaments, you will need to adjust to ensure that you have enough of each pattern.

I cut all the patterns with scissors. However, if you create patterns on a Silhouette or Cricut, you can let the machine do the work. To cut with scissors, I recommend cutting the pieces simultaneously. Here’s how to ensure that the pattern doesn’t slip.

Stack your colored paper evenly with a printed pattern on top. Staple the paper together in several areas around the pattern. Then, cut along the pattern line.

Step 3 – Fold the Design In Half

Once you have your design cut, fold each piece in half. Press your finger along the fold line to get a crisp fold.

Step 4 – Glue The Folded Ornament

Next, you will glue the folded ornament together. Each ornament will have different areas where the glue will be applied. I will detail the placement and assembly of the Christmas tree ornament glue. Then, I drew a cheat sheet for the other three ornaments.

First, open the folded ornament and apply hot glue to the center, as shown below. Then, press together at the fold line to secure. After you have glued all your trees, begin to stack them together. Apply glue in the two areas shown below.

Once the glue is applied as shown, stack the trees on top of each other. Repeat until all the trees are added. Ensure the glue line starts at the fold and all pieces are stacked evenly.

Step 5 – Add Ribbon

Once you have attached all the ornament pieces, clap the edges together and add a ribbon or twine to hang it. Over the folded edges with hot glue to attach a ribbon. Allow the glue to partially dry and open your ornament.

Step 6 – Secure and Embellish

Finally, you are ready to secure the paper honeycomb ornament and embellish it if desired. I used a small paperclip to hold the ornament open. After you secure it, you can fluff by gently separating the folds.

Add a bead or star to the top of the tree if you want to embellish it. I used beads on most of my ornaments. Add a drop of hot glue and then attach your beads.

Cheat Sheets For All Ornaments

Here are the cheat sheets for applying glue to the variously shaped paper ornaments.

Most of the glue placements are very similar, but the long teardrop worked best with this glue placement.

While the fatter teardrop worked best with this placement.

The simple ball ornament and Christmas tree were pretty straightforward.

How To Decorate With Paper Honeycomb Ornaments

Adding a collection of paper honeycomb ornaments to your Christmas tree will instantly add a whimsical, retro vibe. Mix them with vintage shiny brites or other antique ornaments.

You can also add them to your Christmas garlands, open them halfway to attach them to gift packages, and more.

Insider Tip

With a few trials and errors, I’ve compiled a few suggestions to help avoid my initial mistakes.

1. I found that using hot glue works best. It’s more flexible than other glues.
2. Allow the glue to dry for a few minutes before opening your ornament once the ribbon has been attached.
3. When attaching the folded pieces, begin the glue line at the fold and move inward, but don’t extend all the way to the open end.
4. Cut as many pieces as possible from each ornament to save time when using scissors.
5. Be sure to staple the pages together to keep them from slipping.
6. Use lightweight copy paper instead of cardstock for best results.
7. Don’t print the pattern on colored paper; instead, use white so that your ornaments will not have the black lines visible.
8. For larger ornaments, you may need additional points of glue.

I hope you enjoy making these paper honeycomb ornaments as much as I did. They are actually addictive, so be warned. LOL!