Monday, January 24, 2011

Perfect Paper Pinwheels

{pink pinwheels}
Pinwheels have been popping up all over, we saw a lot of adorable pinwheels at the Seattle and Portland Wedding Shows this year. They are such a fun little decoration, look at how cute these are as cupcake toppers:

And they make the perfect little wedding place card for a whimsical Spring wedding:

{floral pinwheel place cards)

The best thing about these is how easy they are to make, and inexpensive too - you can get four pinwheels out of just one 12x12 sheet! These are great for weddings, kids' birthday parties (think Circus/Carnival theme!), baby showers, bridal showers and - since the day of love is right around the corner - Valentine's Day. I always like to give small gifts to friends and family on Valentine's Day to show them my appreciation, and I think a little Valentine cupcake with a pinwheel topper will be perfect. Ready to make your own? Here you go:

Step One: Gather your supplies:
-12x12 Paper (1 sheet=4 pinwheels)
-Scissors (I like the cloud-edged ones for a scalloped edge effect)
-Brads (just 1 per pinwheel)
-Ribbon (optional, but a very cute addition!)
-Stick for the base (I used a chopstick that I found in my junk drawer)


Step 2: Cut your 12x12
paper in half, then cut those pieces in half
-Each of the 4 squares should measure 6" x 6"


Step 3: With a ruler, draw a line from each of the corner points (diagonally) and then draw a circle around the center point


Step 4: Cut each line, stopping when you get to the edge of your circle


Step 5: Punch a small hole in each of four edges and in the center


Step 6: Using your brad, start threading it through each punched hole
-If you want to add ribbon, put that on the brad first before you put it through the paper
-When finished, secure your brad on the back by opening the edges.


Voila! You have created your pinwheel! Now, you just need to secure the pinwheel to the stick (I used glue on mine). If you want to create a fully functioning/spinning pinwheel, simply replace the brad with a pin and it will spin in the breeze. Easy and fun to make, enjoy! --Lauren


2 comments:

  1. I have made these before, including giant size for decor, and they are fun - in fact , everyone, young and old, will blow on them, so I urge everyone to make them spin-able! And that is not "simply" done, as suggested above - depending on the stick in question, you may need to make a hole or slot for the axle, and use a paperclip, pin, wire, etc going through a sequin, button, bead, etc to find a stable arrangement that sits straight on the support and works. Good luck!

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