Paper pinwheels serve lots of handy purposes. They are fun to make when you are feeling bored, they add color to a bland room and they give a restless child something do. Best of all, they are easy to construct, and the decorative possibilities are endless.
Items You Will Need
It doesn't take much to construct a pinwheel. The tools can be found in your own home. You will need scissors, a pushpin and a sharp pencil with an eraser. Most importantly, you will need some sort of rectangular paper, preferably 8½ by 11 inches. If you want to design your own pinwheel, use white construction paper, or perhaps use your favorite wrapping paper design. Go with the blank construction paper for bored children. If you are trying to add some color to a boring room, however, look for wrapping paper that matches your taste.
Directions
Draw the pinwheel pattern onto whatever paper you choose. The pinwheel pattern consists on an X drawn from corner to corner on the paper. There will be a blank circle in the middle and circles in each corner of the page. See "Resources" for an image of the pattern.
Once you have drawn the pattern, you can begin decorating if you're using blank paper. Be sure to decorate both sides of the paper, as the paper will be folded over on itself. If you have chosen a wrapping paper, try filling in the blank sides with a color that complements or matches the theme of the design. You could also go the extra mile and decorate your pencil to match the theme or color of your pinwheel.
Once the paper is decorated, begin putting the pinwheel together. Cut along the X to the circle in the center. Do not cut into the circle. Use your pencil to poke holes through the corner circles. A hole punch will work here. Fold the paper gently, not pressing down, until the circles in the corners are covering the circle in the middle. Holding the corners at the center, lay the pinwheel over your pencil's eraser and, using the pushpin, slide the point of the pin through the center circles and into your pencil's eraser. Make sure the paper is fastened to the pencil but not held down so tightly by the pin that the paper will not move. After all, half the fun of the pinwheel is to see it move in the wind!
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