Simple instructions

Make your own decorations: Stars made from old book pages

Bernadette Hartl in her Bernanderl upcycling studio, which also adorns her self-designed decorations made from book pages.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Markus Wenzel (2))

She has already built furniture out of paper and has been making unique bags out of book covers in her studio in Steyr for years: Bernadette Hartl. For the most beautiful weeks of the year, the 46-year-old shares crafting instructions with "Krone" readers on how to create Christmas stars from old book pages. 

A Singer cobbler sewing machine is just as much a part of her studio as a Stanley knife, glue and countless tie fabrics: Bernadette Hartl has set up her Bernanderl upcycling studio in Fabrikstraße in Steyr, where she makes unique bags from book covers. "I come from a house where old things were treasured, and I also like working with my hands," explains the 46-year-old, who has always had a passion for paper and has been sewing the bags since 2016.

She created the paper decorations for her wedding
And at some point she asked herself: what can you do with the insides of the books that are no longer needed? She has already covered Christmas tree baubles with old book pages, and the Mühlviertel native also made decorations for her wedding. She is now sharing instructions on how to fold stars for Christmas decorations with Krone readers. Easy to copy.

Simply click through the slideshow for the crafting instructions:

Which paper is best for folding the stars? "The paper shouldn't be too old or cracked, I like pages from a music book best," says Hartl.