These “shuriken” (more on that below!) are so cool looking! Kids and adults will have tons of fun making this simple paper craft. We had a blast folding these colourful throwing stars and watching them fly through the air!
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What is a ninja star?
“Ninja star” is an informal name for the Japanese concealed weapon known as a shuriken, which literally means “hidden hand blade”. Despite the ninja name, these throwing stars were actually used by the legendary samurai warriors. Paper ninja stars are a classic origami project that are tons of fun to make and play with!
Is it difficult to make a ninja star?
No, it’s actually really easy to make a ninja star of your own! Simply follow our step-by-step photo tutorial (or watch the video!) and you should be able to follow along easily. One of the most important things is to keep track of Paper 1 and Paper 2, so you’re making the correct folds on each paper. It definitely helps to make a ninja star with two different colours of paper! Or, if you’re using the same colour, keep Paper 1 on the left and Paper 2 on the right. Making the final folds to put the ninja star together is the only part that’s a bit challenging. Be sure to watch the tutorial video if you’re having trouble, and you should be able to easily understand where each corner is going!
What type of paper is best for making a ninja star?
We had the best luck making our ninja stars with origami paper. It’s easy to use because it’s already a square shape, and the paper is nice and thin. Try making your ninja star from thin paper like lined writing paper, magazine pages, or wrapping paper. You can also use regular printer paper cut into a square, but it’s a little harder to fold than origami paper. We don’t recommend paper any thicker than 20 lb. The thicker the paper, the harder it is to make precise folds.
What size are these ninja stars?
We made our origami ninja stars using 5-7/8 inch (15 cm) square origami paper. This makes a ninja star that is just over 3-1/4 inches from tip to tip. You can use any size of paper to make a ninja star, as long as it’s square when you start folding.
How do you throw an origami ninja star?
These ninja stars don’t have a lot of power behind them (they are paper, after all), but they do fly nicely across a room! There are two ways to throw these paper ninja stars. Overhand: You can throw the ninja star overhand, like a baseball. To do this, grip one corner of the star between your thumb and index finger. Hold your arm up, pull back, and then release! Frisbee style: Stand sideways, with your feet at 90 degrees from your target. Hold a tip of the ninja star between your thumb and index finger. Hold your hand sideways so the star is parallel to the floor. Bring your wrist in towards your body and then flick it out, letting go of the star. Make sure not to throw your ninja star at people or animals. Even though these ninja stars are made of paper, the corners could still hurt someone!
Prepare for ninja training with these super cool origami ninja stars! It’s so much fun to make a ninja star, you’ll want to make them in all different colours!
Here’s even more paper craft ideas:
Paper Star
Paper Heart
How to Make a Paper Airplane
How to Make Paper Claws
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
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