How to Make Pinwheels: DIY Party Decor for Cheap!

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Need to add a festive touch to any occasion? Grab some pretty patterned scrapbook paper and I’ll show you how to make pinwheels. They’re so easy to make, even kids can help! Use your homemade pinwheels for party banners, cupcake toppers, centerpieces and more.

I’m pretty sure I learned how to make pinwheels back in elementary school.

You know what they say… everything I need to know, I learned in kindergarten!

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But like many of those other kindergarten lessons (don’t eat paste; don’t pick your nose in public), sometimes you need a little refresher. Right?

Just kidding; we’ve all know our manners around here. And we only eat yummy food, not our craft supplies.

But with all the grown-up stuff you’ve got going, you might have forgotten how to make pinwheels and just how fun they are, too.

Paper pinwheels are one of the easiest and most inexpensive party decorations around. They add a festive touch to any occasional. You can make them in any size, pattern or color you like and use them in lots of way.

Glue a bunch of pinwheels on a foam circle to create a wreath. String them on baker’s twine to create a party garland. Cluster several together in a vase to create a party centerpiece. Hang an oversized one on the wall using poster putty. (You can also do the same with smaller ones.) Use them as cake and cupcake toppers, or add a pretty pinwheel to a gift in place of a bow.

Now that I’ve got you hyped to craft and party, let me show you how to make pinwheels.

Supplies

Double-sided scrapbook paper or cardstock
Scissors
Small hole punch
Decorative brads
Paper straws

Instructions

You can make pinwheels out of any square sheet of scrapbook paper or cardstock. I like to use paper with coordinating designs on each side. In the photos you see here, I made pinwheels using 12-inch, 6-inch, 5-inch and 4-inch squares of paper. Many of the patterns I used are from the My Mind’s Eye Palm Beach Collection. It’s perfect for summer!

If you want to be precise with your cuts, fold the paper square in half, into a triangle. Then, fold in it half again to create a smaller triangle. Unfold and flatten the paper.

Use the fold lines to cut from each corner of the paper to the center. (Don’t cut all the way to the center. Leave a half-inch or so, depending on the size of the paper.)

Of course, I I usually don’t do this. I skip the folding and just eyeball it with scissors or use my paper trimmer to make the cuts.

Next, use a small hole punch to create a small hole in every other point of the paper. Punch a small hole in the center of the paper, too. If you’re mounting the pinwheel on a paper straw, flatten one end and punch a hole.

I love my Crop-A-Dile Big Bite for punching holes! If you do a lot of papercrafting, cardmaking or scrapbooking, this is a must-have tool.

Thread a decorative brad through one point of the pinwheel, then fold up the three other points. Thread them onto the brad, then push the brad through the center of the paper to create the pinwheel shape.