One of my favorite decorations at Christmas time is the window advent star. I was first introduced to these when studying abroad in Stockholm and have sought out the intricate paper patterns ever since. I wanted to see if I could replicate the feel of the classic in glass because I have a tool that makes me way over confident in glass.
The first step was to create a nice parametric model as I was a bit indecisive about the design including even the number of points on the star. The extra time I think is worth it as I can reuse the model next time when I up the complexity
In addition to the glass panels the star is both held up by and illuminated by an aluminum star inside the main star.
The cutting process was straight forward, there were just a lot of pieces and because I used no tabs I had to pause and open the lid to remove each piece as it completed. Once the 60 pieces were cut out I had to foil each one and assemble into the 20 panels.
At this point I needed to create a fixture to join the panels at the perfect angle. A simple 3D printed jig held the parts securely and gave me plenty of access to solder the panels together.
The 10 points of the star could then be assembled into the 2 halves. This is where my lack of experience I think is most clear, but they are holding and I’m not complaining.
The aluminum bit was straight forward and the LEDs were simple to attach.
After that all I had to do was to attach the two halves. In the end I’m happy with how it turned out and can’t wait to try and add more detail next time.
