You can start with either a square-sized or letter-sized (8. 5” x 11”) to make your star. The result will be the same.
Avoid thinner paper like gift wrap or wax paper as this method will require a bit more handling of the star.
Tighten (gently) and leave only about a ¼-inch tag out of the loop. Once the knot is made, flatten it gently with your hand. Once done, tuck the tag end into the pocket formed by the knot. This should form a small pentagon at the end of the strip.
Continuing folding in this way until there’s only a short bit left, about ½ an inch. Tuck this short strip into one of the creases of the pentagon.
What was the bottom edge should now be flush with the left edge; there should remain a rectangle on top of the triangle formed. Cut this rectangle off with scissors.
These two rectangles will be manipulated exactly the same, but mirrored. Eventually each rectangle will come to form two points of the star. For a more distinct finished star, use two different colored pieces of paper to make two rectangles to continue on from this step.
Unfold this last fold to have two thin rectangles with a visible crease line horizontally through the middle.
Each rectangle should end up as two squares connected by a slanted rectangle.
Then place this flipped figure on top of the left one. There should now be an idea of what the star will come to look like; each triangle forms a point of the star.
Once completed, flip the whole thing over.
