I googled and found these instructions. If I remember correctly Carol Duvall did one of these on her show a few years back. I haven't looked into a search on HGTV but it's very possible that it's there.

http://craft.dow.com/proj/627.htm

ginger

Here is a link that might be useful: Drinking Straw Ornament Instructions

Thanks for your reply,ginger but the one I had was all made with straws and came out quite a bit larger. I think it was in Family Circle magazine back in the 60's. Thanks again ellie

How about this one....

Straw star ornaments

Materials needed:

Straw, real or paper drinking straws
Red string or embroidery floss

Take straw(s) into pieces about 3" long. Lay out three pieces in a triangle. Use red string to tie the corners together, a little ways in from the end. Make another triangle, and tie the corners. Lay one triangle on top of the other to form a six-pointed star. Tie with red string at the six places where the triangles meet.

Add a red string for hanging.

thanks for ther suggestion pattico but that's still not it if I ever figure it out on my own I will post the directions here thanks again .Ellie

Hey liza070831,

I remember making one of these stars back in the 60's when I was a cub scout. I sure would like to find the directions for making it again. I am now a cub scout den leader. Did you ever find the directions for it?

I'm also trying to find directions for making the star.
My son made them long time ago. Would like to teach
my girls.

http://www.thecraftplace.com/projects/details.cfm?project_id=1025

Maybe that one?
I think I know what you are talking about and I can't seem to find it either...hmmmmmmm
I'll keep looking

Marci

I know this isn't what you are talking about, but thought I would throw it into the mix.

Here is a link that might be useful: little stars

I have it!

It's in Life Magazine, December 7, 1959 on pages 85 and 86.

My mom, my aunt and I made these stars, and I managed to dredge an approximate date from my memory. I'm a librarian, and we have the old Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, which turned up the correct citation. Since it's copyrighted material, I'm reluctant to post it, but there are very few libraries that don't have a run of Life.

A year or two ago we made some stars or maybe it was snowflakes from white straws. You cut them and made cuts an inch or so from the bottom...then curled the cut pieces with your sissors. Then I think a few into a bunch and made the flake.

I can't remember for sure how it was done but I remember they were pretty and I'd like to make them again...

Has anyone ever seen those and remember how to make them?

patti

The straw decorations that you are inquiring about is from ,Theresa Balciunas DiCello who was on the Carol Davull show. The Stitchin' Post & Frame shop
310 Old Green Bay Road
Kenosha, WI 53144-1026 Phone (262/552-8870)
between 10 - 1 Tuesday through Saturday central time.

I love to make these straw decorations,Hope this helps you.

Here's a very pretty straw ornament how-to.

Here is a link that might be useful: Straw Ornament How-To

PLEASE, if you have directions for this star, post them! I have searched high and low! Not doing any good finding the 1959 article in LIFE either! I made one of these years ago, but really would like to have it for current students!

I too have been trying to rack my brain to figure out a straw star I made in about 3rd gr.(mid 60's). I don't remember the straw lengths but I'm sort of thinking they were 2-1/2"long strung into triangles and formed together to make a geodesic dome shaped base and then 5' straws were connected to form the spikes off each of the triangles.Anyone figure it out please send directions&pics

I've got it! Worked on it last night. make 2- 5 triangle domes and connect by form triagles w additional straw.use 3" for the core and 5"for the spikes.

My mother used to make these. In fact, I have a piece of a beginning of one she was working on when she passed away. Instead of paper straws, she used those pretty colored cellophane coctail straws, and they were pretty durable. I can't find her instructions but I DID find links to both the Life article directions (scanned by someone at Wunderland, apparently), link below:

http://www.wunderland.com/WTS/Rash/misc/stars.htm

and also to a web page w/directions, given as a math project .

http://www.whitneyhs.org/ourpages/auto/2008/12/1/41963999/Directions%20for%20the%20Icosahedron%20Star%20Project.pdf

Wow! Those are amazing. I'm not sure I could make them never mind teach kids. People used to do more hand work. I have a book from the 1930s about teaching young people in school to do stained glass, and its incredible.
Kathy

DD and I just made one of these. Took us about 1.5 hours. She's 7 and I'm really amazed at how well she picked up on the geometry. I will admit that the word icosahedron is a bit intimidating, but it is really just 2 pentagonal pyramids connected - which is a lot less intimidating.

I'll take a photo later on and post.

Okay - finally took a picture.

It's so "big" - i have no idea where I'm going to put it. Our ceilings are kinda low - so I can't hang it. And I'm a bit afraid to put it outside. But it was a fun project today.

Again another strange coincidence! I am going to make something like this. My mom found a bargain for me at the thrift store 1200 paper straws. It is a Scandinavian art called Himmeli. Google that or try here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AMradio

Here is a link that might be useful: Himmeli craft

My sister made these back in the early 60's. They were beautiful. We hung hers under a high ceiing fixture and the heat made it slowly rotate. One thing she did differently, not sure if her instructions said to, but she added tiny glasses ball ornaments on the tips of each point. Can you believe after all that work she only charged $5.00!

I was so glad to see that someone had found this pattern,I had looked for it for years. I used to make these every year in the 60's. My kids just didn't think it was Christmas without one of the soda straw stars hanging over their beds. I had them in the living room too. I also put the small glass balls on the points and also sprayed them with spray glue and sprinkled glitter on them. Today you can just get spray glitter. We have made them several ways. You can make them half size and they are darling, even smaller and hand them on your tree. I have used coffee stirrers that are like small straws, we have even made toothpick ones. I finally found a copy of the original magazine and was able to buy it on ebay. I am busily making them now to surprise my kids who are all married and parents themselves. One of our daughters is even a grandmother. I am hoping another generation will grab hold of this tradition. It has brought so much joy over the years. There are so many straws to choose from today. I once went into a drive-in restaurant in the 60's and asked the owener if I could buy some straws from him. He asked what I was going to do with them. I explained what I was making and he told me I could have a box of 200 straws free if I would make him a star. I did and every year when I drove past the drive-in I could see "my" star hanging in the window close to Christmas time. He kept it for years.