Drinking Straw Starbursts

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

Drinking Straw Starbursts - finished starbursts against a black background My local dollar shop is trying to get rid of an excess stock of drinking straws so they're on sale for 25 cents per box. I decided to use them to make decorative starbursts for my birthday party. They give quite the visual punch for a few pennies!

To make one large and two small bursts (pictured here) I used 30 straws and 3 zip ties.

Total Time: 15 minutes

Supplies:

drinking straws
scissors
zip ties
pliers

Steps:

If your straws have flexible ends like mine do, cut that section off and reserve for small bursts. If yours don't have the ends, just cut a couple inches off each straw.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - cut at flex if appropriate or simply cut off a couple of inches and set aside

Gather the 30 drinking straws and loosely tie them up in the middle with a zip tie.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - zip tie the bundle of straws loosely

Stand up the straws so they are all level.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - stand up the straws so that they are level

Pull on the zip tie so it's very tight.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - tighten the zip tie

Now use your pliers to pull the zip tie really taut so it starts making the straws bend in the middle.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - use the pliers to pull the tie really taut so that the straws begin to bend in the middle

Use your fingers to pinch the straws in different directions so they fill up spaces.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - using your fingers pinch the straws in different directions so that they fill the spaces

Trim the end off the zip tie.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - trim the end of the zip tie

Now divide the straw ends into 2 batches of 15. Rearrange them so half of the flexible ends are facing one way and the others, the other way.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - divide the straw ends into two sets of 15, if they are from flexible straws alternate the bendable ends

Repeat the zip tie pull technique from above. Repeat with the other small 15 straws.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - repeat the zip tie process on both sets

These look great on party tables. You can also add a thin string from the zip tie middle and hang from the ceiling.

Drinking Straw Starbursts - one large and two smaller starbursts

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Elaine

January 20, 20190 found this helpful

Those are very attractive. I love your photos and instructions are so easy. Thank you for this awesome idea.

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attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

January 21, 20190 found this helpful

You are so very welcome, Elaine! Thanks for the comment! :)

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achipichi

January 22, 20190 found this helpful

Very pretty!

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attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

January 24, 20190 found this helpful

Thank you! :)

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15mhhm15
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,298 Posts

January 24, 20190 found this helpful

Lovely! I love how this turned out.

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attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

January 24, 20190 found this helpful

Thanks so much! So easy to do too :)

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