How to Make Honeycomb Paper Christmas Trees and Bells

Honeycomb paper looks like it needs special tools, but it is really just thin paper stacked and glued in an offset pattern, then gently pulled open. In this guide I’m sharing how to use that one technique to make two simple Christmas decorations: a tabletop honeycomb tree and a hanging honeycomb bell.

Both pieces are lightweight, both fold flat when the season is over, and both work in almost any color. I’d start with a neutral set in cream, kraft, and soft white, then add a deep green or burgundy once you have the rhythm of the glue pattern.

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What You Will Need

• Tissue paper: cream, burgundy, and forest green sheets give you plenty of tissue for several pieces. Shop cream tissue, burgundy tissue, or forest green tissue.
• Double-sided tape: a thin 1/4-inch strip makes clean, flat glue lines that will not wrinkle the tissue. Shop this option.
• Craft scissors: full-size scissors cut through the whole stack cleanly. Shop this option.
• Cream cardstock: for the glue guide and for the tree and bell templates. Shop this option.
• Natural jute twine: for hanging the bells and tying a small bow on a tree. Shop this option.
• Natural wooden beads: one small bead makes a simple clapper for each bell. Shop this option.

You will also want a pencil and a ruler for marking the guide.

How Honeycomb Paper Works

Each sheet is attached to the next along evenly spaced lines. On every other sheet, those lines are shifted over by half the spacing. When the stack is pulled apart, the layers open into a pattern of connected cells, much like a real honeycomb. The effect only works when the lines stay straight and the shift stays consistent, so the guide in the first step is worth the few minutes it takes.

How to Make a Honeycomb Christmas Tree

Step 1: Make Your Glue Guide

Cut your tissue paper into rectangles about 6 by 9 inches. Larger sheets make larger trees, so you can adjust the size later. Cut a piece of cardstock to the same size. Using a pencil and ruler, draw straight lines across the short side of the cardstock, one inch apart, and label each one A. Then draw a second set of lines halfway between them, label those B, and you will have a line every half inch alternating A and B.

Tissue paper is see-through, so you can slide the guide under a sheet and place your tape right on the lines. If you use an opaque paper such as kraft, mark the lines very lightly on the back of each sheet instead.

Step 2: Stack and Tape the Sheets

1. Lay your first sheet over the guide and press a strip of double-sided tape along every A line.
2. Lay the second sheet on top, line up the edges, and press down gently along the tape.
3. Slide the guide under the stack and tape along every B line on the second sheet.
4. Add the third sheet, then tape along the A lines again.
5. Keep alternating A and B, one sheet at a time. A stack of about 10 to 12 sheets is a good size for a small tree, and more sheets give a fuller shape.
6. Finish with one plain sheet on top, then rest the stack under a heavy book for a few minutes so every layer is pressed flat.

Step 3: Cut the Tree Shape

Draw a simple tree on cardstock, about 6 inches tall, with three stepped tiers and a short trunk. Cut it out and trace it onto the top sheet so the tape lines run across the tree from side to side. Cut through the whole stack along your outline, working in small sections so the layers do not shift. Cutting a smooth outline matters, because the edges are what you will see once the tree opens.

Step 4: Pull the Tree Open

Hold the top and bottom sheets and slowly draw them apart. The layers will lift and form the honeycomb cells between them. Go gently, because tissue tears easily if you pull too fast. Tape or tie the first and last sheets together so the shape stays open, then stand it on its trunk. If it leans, trim the bottom edge flat.

How to Make a Honeycomb Bell

The bell uses the exact same stack. Make a second stack the same way, using a different color if you like, then cut it into a simple bell shape with a gently flared bottom edge. A bell about 4 inches tall is easy to handle and looks pretty on a branch.

1. Cut a bell template from cardstock and trace it onto the top sheet of the stack.
2. Cut through the whole stack, keeping the curve smooth.
3. Pull the layers open slowly and join the first and last sheets with a small piece of tape.
4. Thread a length of twine through the top of the bell and tie it into a loop for hanging.
5. Tie a wooden bead onto a short piece of twine and fasten it at the center of the bell opening so the bead hangs just below the edge like a clapper.

Tips and Troubleshooting

• Practice on scrap paper: a quick test stack of five sheets shows you how far to pull before the layers resist.
• If the layers open unevenly: the tape lines were probably a little crooked or the A and B pattern got mixed up. Peel the stack apart and restart with the guide underneath.
• If the tissue tears: pull more slowly and use slightly less tape. A thin strip holds fine.
• If the shape feels flimsy: add a few more sheets, or use a lightweight paper that is a bit sturdier than tissue.
• For storage: gently press the pieces closed and lay them flat in a box. They open again next year.

Ways to Style Them

I like the look of a small group of trees in different heights on a mantel or console table, with a few bells hanging from a bare branch beside them. Cream and kraft feel soft and calm. A deep green or burgundy tree gives you one bold accent without much effort. You can also tie a bell to the top of a wrapped gift as a decoration that doubles as a little keepsake.

What to Make Next

If you enjoy paper crafts, the freestanding paper trees that store flat make a good partner for these on a mantel. For a longer display, try the layered paper star and tassel garland across a window or shelf.