Froebel stars are three-dimensional paper ornaments that German children used to make in school for the family’s Christmas tree or wreath. Today, in Germany as in many other countries, handmade decorations have declined in favor of store-bought items. Froebel stars are made by folding and interweaving paper strips without the use of glue. It is a form of origami. Four paper strips of identical length are folded and woven until a star with eight flat and eight cone-shaped points emerges.
How to make Froebel stars
The paper strips for the stars can be ordered online from a variety of vendors and are available in just about every imaginable color, pattern and width. Wider strips make larger stars. Narrow strips make tiny stars. I made my Froebel stars from ¾ inch gold paper strips and ended up with stars that are approximately 3 ½ inches in diameter. Many online videos take you through the process step by step. I followed the instructions at https://youtu.be/7rr34gOba5Q. It took a bit of patience on my part, and I had to consult the video a number of times, but eventually I was rewarded with a beautiful star.
Handmade German Froebel stars, photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2018. www.walled-in-berlin.com
How Froebel stars got their name
Froebel stars are named after the German educator Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) who advocated paper folding for young children to introduce them to basic mathematical concepts. Recognizing that children have unique needs and capabilities, Froebel designed educational play materials known as Froebel Gifts. The “gifts” included circles, spheres and geometric building blocks. Most likely, Friedrich Froebel did not invent Froebel stars, however, because descriptions of how to fold them date back to the 19th century or even further. But he used the folding and weaving concept in his educational activities.
Friedrich Froebel coined the word “Kindergarten”
As an interesting aside, it was also Friedrich Froebel who coined the word kindergarten in 1840, which soon entered the English language. The idea of an educational institution for young children between the ages of four and six got the immediate attention of other educators. But spread of the concept was initially thwarted in Germany by the Prussian government. In 1851, the Ministry of Education banned kindergartens because it feared that they might conflict with religious and political practices. Nonetheless, a Froebel fan exported the kindergarten idea to England, France and the Netherlands. And in 1856, Froebel’s student Margarethe Schurz founded the first kindergarten in the United States. Soon, kindergartens were established throughout Europe and North America.
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Tags: Christmas ornaments, Friedrich Froebel, Froebel gifts, Froebel stars, German Christmas, kindergarten, origami
