how to making a decorative pinwheel

How to Making a Decorative Pinwheel.

Pinwheels are a beautiful decoration and delight children of all ages. Use them to decorate your yard for a party, or happily watch your children as they admire the bright colors whirling together. Once you know how to make a basic pinwheel, you can make a fancier one with more spokes. You can also make a disc-shaped pinwheel. It won't spin, but it'll look lovely as a wall decoration or ornament.

1. Cut a sheet of patterned scrapbooking paper into four strips. Get some 12-inch (30.48-centimeter) square scrapbooking paper. Use a metal ruler and a craft blade to cut the paper into four, 3-inch (7.62-centimeter) wide strips.

Some scrapbooking paper has a white strip along the bottom edge for the price and label. You should trim this off first.

These pinwheels are meant to be used as decorations on gifts, walls, or ornaments. They do not spin like regular pinwheels.

2. Fan-fold the strips widthwise. Take your first strip, and fold the narrow edge over by ½ to 1-inch (1.27 to 2.54 centimeters). Use that as a fold as a guide for the rest of the paper. Repeat this step for the remaining three strips.

3. Consider adding a design to one of the long edges. Fold your strip back up so that it looks like a closed fan. Cut an angle into one of the narrow edges. Work one strip at a time, otherwise, the paper will be too thick to cut neatly.

You don't have to do this step. This will simply give the pinwheels a more ornate edge.

4. Attach the pieces together to make a longer strip. Place a strip of tape against one of the narrow ends of your first strip. Place it against the narrow end of the next strip, then press them together. Keep connecting the strips until you have one long strip.

If both ends of the strips are folded in opposite directions, they will make a V or ^ shape. Trim off one of the ends until both are folded in the same direction.

5. Attach the first and last strips together to make a disk. Run some glue or a strip of double-sided tape along one of the narrow ends. Bring the other narrow end towards it, and press the two together.

6. Flatten the disk. If the disk won't lay flat, you will need to glue a support to the back. Flip the disk over so that the back is facing you. Choose a dowel, straw, or skewer that is the same height as the disk. Hot glue your chosen stick down the center of the disk, right between two ridges.

7. How glue an embellishment to the front of the disk. For a fancy look, you can cut a small circle out of coordinating paper, then glue it to the front to cover the hole. For a more rustic touch, you can use a large button instead.

8. Cut a circle cut from cardstock to the back of the pinwheel. This will make it easier to secure the pinwheel to walls, gifts, and other items. It would be best if you use a matching color, but you can use a different color as well.

Use a cup, jar, or lid to trace the circle.

9. Use double-sided tape to secure the pinwheel. Place a few strips of double-sides tape onto the back of the pinwheel, right over the cardstock circle. Secure the pinwheel to your desired gift of banner.

If you are securing the pinwheel to a wall, consider using double-sided, foam mounting tape instead.

Alternatively, you can string several pinwheels together to make a banner.

10. Finished.


Tips.

Make your pinwheel out of thin plastic, such as acetate, binder dividers, or stencil plastic.

Wrap a pretty ribbon in a spiral around the dowel before adding the pinwheel.

For an even fancier pinwheel, paint the stick with acrylic paint or spray paint beforehand. Let it dry before adding the pinwheel.

You can use a drinking straw instead of a dowel. It won't be as durable, but it will be easier to assemble.

Glue a bead, button, or charm to the pin on the front of your pinwheel for a fancy touch.

Make your own double-sided scrapbooking paper by gluing two sheets of paper back-to-back.

Decorate plain paper with rubber stamps.

You can make a simpler pinwheel by securing everything with a thumbtack to the side of a pencil eraser.


Things You'll Need.

Colorful paper.

Pencil.

Ruler.

Scissors.

Double-sided tape.

Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks.

Stapler.

Cardboard scraps or buttons.