Deck the halls with origami!

What are you supposed to do when the roads are too icy to drive on and all your finals are studied for and over with?

Break out your mad paper-folding skillz, that's what.

In honor of the third day of Christmas Quest at the Warbler's Nest, here are three simple origami models that are bursting with irresistible holiday spirit. You can glue them to handmade cards for some inexpensive yet festive embellishments, or you can tape some shiny red ribbon to the backs for a few new decorations for your Christmas tree. All of them are suitable for keeping a handful of wired kids entertained, too.

• Origami Candy Canes - These are simple and fun. All you need is a square piece of standard origami paper (white on one side and colored on the other) and the ability to neatly "roll" paper in one direction. Make sure you do not confuse steps four and five with the more complicated "fan" fold! This is easy holiday origami at its finest, folks. However, I do recommend curling the end with a pencil if you would like a more fluid crook shape.

• Simple Santa - This little guy isn't the fanciest St. Nick you could make, but he'll do for a quick and easy boredom blaster as well as for an adorable addition to your holiday decor. Try giving him wiggle eyes for added sweetness. You could paste the back flaps and add some string for an ornament to hang, or you can just leave him be and use him as a whatchamacallit. You know -- a thing to sit out and collect dust or to put on your table for people to admire. If you're into stuff like big holiday get-togethers, you could write guests' names on the coats and put little Santas out at every place to let everybody know where to sit. I don't know what those things are called. Dear Mr. Claus, you are again a whatchamacallit, but at least you can stand up on your own.

• Easy Origami Christmas Tree - There are several beginner-level origami Christmas tree models out there, but this Model of the Month by David Petty is the cutest I have seen. Be careful on step five, however; you may need to "work with it" to get the stump looking the way you want. You will probably also want to glue the back of your final model to hold it nicely together, especially if you plan to use it as an ornament. By the way, if you make this design with children, make sure you have plenty of markers, sequins, glue, and additional paper available. You might have been content with a simple paper star on the top, but  they will inevitably be way more creative. For an extra-special flair, you can fold this from patterned origami paper, such as imitation washi.