Qixi, the Festival of the Seventh Night, is all about small, heartfelt gestures — and nothing says "I made this for you" quite like a tiny paper ornament catching the light. This little fringed fan is the kind of project you can fold in a quiet afternoon, yet it looks far more intricate than the ten minutes it actually takes.

The first time you pull the cut sheet open, it's genuinely satisfying: a flat, slashed square suddenly blooms into a delicate paper lattice. Hang a few in a window, tuck one into a card, or crown it with a folded star — however you dress it up, it's an easy win for the holiday.

Easy and pretty Qixi Festival decoration! How to make a fringed paper fan

You’ll need: 1 sheet of 15 × 15 cm origami paper and a pair of scissors.

Step 1: Fold the sheet in half vertically through the middle.

Step 2: Fold it in half vertically once more.

Step 3: Cut along the red lines.

Feel free to choose any slit width you like! In the sample the cuts are 1 cm apart.

Step 4: From the opposite side, cut into the gaps left between the previous slits.

Step 5: Once the cuts are done, unfold the paper back to its original flat shape.

Notice how the paper is now slit in this criss-cross pattern.

Step 6: After unfolding, stretch the paper open vertically.

And that’s it — all done! The paper fans out into a lovely fringed decoration.

It looks adorable decorated with little stars and such.

Here are the stars we used for decoration ↓ ↓ ↓

Origami Star Ornament! An easy five-pointed star folded from a single sheet.

Origami Hexagram Ornament! An easy six-pointed star folded from a single sheet.