Image of April making one of her stars at her artist in residence at Palette 22

April McGuire

I have been making stars out of drinking straws since I was 19 years old. The stars have 20 points, built on an icosahedron. A star typically takes 5 hours to make.  They can be made from assortments of colors and/or patterns, and sizes of straws.  And, they can be made for many different themes–holidays, special events, sports teams, company logos, etc.  Go to the Photo Gallery to view some of the stars that I have made.

I had the privilege to serve as an Artist-in-Residence at Palette 22, The Village at Shirlington in Arlington, VA, from July 2016 to January 2017.  It was a remarkable experience.

Holiday stars that I have made include: New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Halloween, and Christmas. Stars can be made for most holidays.

Sports teams stars that I have made include: Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburg Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Duke Blue Devils, Virginia Tech Hokies, North Carolina Tar Heels, Maryland Terrapins, and Florida State Seminoles. Stars can be made for most sports teams.

My stars have made their way to California, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. And, a few of my stars went international, on a Scenic riverboat cruise in Europe.

Thanks to Arlington County Parks and Natural Resources, in September 2016, I realized my ultimate dream, and challenge — to make a Super Star out of 20-inch straws, resulting in a diameter of 65 inches.  In comparison, stars made from standard-sized, 7 3/4-inch straws, result in a diameter of 25 inches. Go to the Photo Gallery to view the Super Star.

My stars are my passion, and I hope that they bring as much joy and happiness to others as they do to me.