I recently discovered the secret of everyone getting along in the car…kid books on CD. I know, I’m late figuring this out, but I didn’t think they would listen, since they don’t listen to me or each other in the car. It’s amazing how captivated they are!
So what’s the connection with pinwheels? I’m glad you asked. We were listening to a Nate the Great book and at the end are all sorts of nifty little crafts and information. One segment described how to make a pinwheel, and it sounded super easy. And it was!
Once I made one, I couldn’t stop. The kids even made them. That’s how easy peasy lemon squeezy they are. Yes, I need to stop listening to kids’ books.
I used Stampin’ Up! cardstock to make this decoration for the front door. It was, frankly, a bit too thick to bend without creasing. For the sticks, I wrapped that cool paper tape from Target around dowel rods, then wrapped red and white bakers’ twine around that. To make them lay flat against the door, I tied monofilament line from each stick to a metal clip in the center, above the white pinwheel. See it? That’s also how I hung it on the door.
Then I wanted to make a garland for the mantel, so I raided the kids’ stash of construction paper. I don’t think these will last through storing them, so it’s not important that they be colorfast. I thought it was for the ones on the front door, since the sun would fade the construction paper in about 2 seconds.
How do you make them, you ask? (Aren’t you just full of questions today?) Here’s how:
Cut your paper to a square. The ones on my door are 8-1/2” squares, the garland is 6” square. Draw diagonally from corner to corner, making an “x".” Cut from the corners to about 1” from the center. Punch a small hole (I used a 1/16” punch because I was using tiny brads) in the upper leftr corner, then the next left corner and so on. Also punch a hole in the center.
Push a brad through from the back of one corner. Work your way around, tucking each corner under the brad so that the brad goes from back to front.
When all four corners are on the brad, push it through the center and open the prongs to hold it.
To make the garland, I punched holes in two adjacent spokes and used brads to hook one to the next.
You could also put a cute stamped or printed circle image in the center, to cover your brad.
Please don't burst my little bubble of happiness and tell me I'm the last person in the world to learn to make these. Even if it's probably true.
While these aren’t true pinwheels that will spin in the wind, they’re a fun, summery, inexpensive way to brighten up your décor!
