In the “Christmas at Plum Creek” episode of the first season of “Little House on the Prairie”, each member of the Ingalls family works hard and makes sacrifices to give gifts to other family members. It reminds me of O. Henry’s ironic short story “The Gift of the Magi” in which a young married couple sacrifices what is most dear to them in order to give each other a meaningful Christmas gift.

Since it is the Ingalls family’s first Christmas at Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, each member is determined to do something special for the others and to make it a memorable celebration. Laura sells her beloved horse Bunny to Mr. Oleson in order to buy a new iron stove for Ma without realizing that Pa is going to give her a new saddle. And baby Carrie surprises them all with a shiny star ornament for the top of the family’s Christmas tree.

This tree topper Christmas DIY is perfect for the kids to make to mimic the star Carrie purchased for a penny.

MATERIALS NEEDED TO CREATE A LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE INSPIRED STAR ORNAMENT

• Six Small Paper Cones
• Mini Hot Glue Gun or Mod Podge
• Small Can of Silver Spray Paint
• Two Small Wooden Dowels (.1875in x 36in)

DIRECTIONS TO CREATE A LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE STAR ORNAMENT

Step One. Lay out all six paper cones, and flatten each cone to the ground.

Step Two. Take four of the paper cones and align them into the shape of a star.

Step Three. Take the two small wooden dowels, and break them into half. You want about 13 inches of length for each stick.

Step Four. Then take both of the wooden dowels and hot glue them together in the shape of an x (as shown in the ingredient photo).

Step Five. Put a little hot glue on the end of one of the wooden dowels, and then slide the dowel inside of a paper cone. Repeat this step three more times to secure the four cones that were the base of your star.

Step Six. Once the four paper cones are glued to each wooden dowel you will want to make sure they are evenly aligned. They should form the shape of a star just like the one you laid out in Step Two. Then hot glue the bottom of each paper cone to the other paper cones to secure the entire structure. Allow the glue to dry for about five minutes.

Step Seven. Once those four paper cones are dry, take the fifth paper cone and hot glue it to the top of the star-shaped ornament. Allow this to dry for about five minutes, then flip the ornament over and hot glue the sixth paper cone to the other side.

Step Eight. Spray paint the star ornament with the silver spray paint. You could also hand paint this instead (totally your preference).

Step Nine. Once you allow your star to dry (about ten minutes), then clip the end one of the cones. You will want to create a hole big enough so the star will slide on to the top of your tree. So the size of the hole will depend on the size of the top of your tree.

And that’s it! If the kids want to add glitter or other accessories to their tree topper, now would be the time to do that with a little of the mod podge. Another way to fancy up your star is to wrap each paper cone with silver wrapping paper before you assemble it.

This easy Christmas DIY star ornament is a great way to capture the spirit of Christmas on Plum Creek. The Ingalls didn’t have a lot of things, but making sacrifices helped them realize the importance of family and why we celebrate Christmas!

How do you decorate your tree? Have you ever made a holiday sacrifice for someone else? I would love to hear about your family traditions – feel free to leave a comment below and let me know. If you want to continue your Little House on the Prairie Christmas Inspiration, be sure to check out my DIY No Sew Christmas Tablerunner and Little House on the Prairie Inspired Holiday Tablescape.