Just in time for a breezy March day, make this colorful paper pinwheel with nothing more than paper, a pencil and a straight pin. Children of all ages will be delighted with this whirling windmill. Make several as party decorations or favors!
This is a terrific "make and take" craft for a birthday party, and is well-suited for family, group or classroom craft time. With a little preparation by the adult or teen leader, this project can be completed in no time!
Gather the materials needed for making a pinwheel. If you are doing this project with a group of children, pre-cut the 6" (15 cm) paper squares.
Cut a 6" (15 cm) square of paper that has been printed with one of Aunt Annie's Red and Blue Stars digital papers.
Tip: Two-sided pinwheels can be made by gluing two printed squares back-to-back, or by printing on both sides of heavy paper (24- or 32-pound).
Use the pencil and ruler to draw two diagonal lines, corner-to-corner, that cross at the square's center. Mark the center point and mark a point 2¾" (7 cm) from each corner on the diagonal line.
Cut on the diagonal line from each corner up to the marked point. Erase pencil marks, except for the center point.
You now have a pinwheel! Hold the pinwheel in your hand and swish it around. The pinwheel should rotate on the pin. Take the pinwheel outside on a breezy day and see it whirl like crazy!
Tip: If your pinwheel doesn't rotate freely, it is probably rubbing against the pencil. You can fix this problem by inserting the pin into the eraser at a slight upward angle, or by slipping a small bead onto the pin before inserting it into the eraser.
That's it! Your pinwheel is done!