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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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How-to: Make a Perfect Paper Pinwheel

December 18, 2012 2 Comments

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

Pinwheels are a great way to add some vintagey flair to a Christmas present, birthday party or wedding decor, and they’re actually really easy to make. In today’s post, I want to share how I get mine folded just right every time.

Supplies

12″ scrapbooking paper/cardstock

paper scoring tool or a ruler and pencil

heavy duty packing tape

double sided tape

scissors

paper cutter (optional)

Directions

To achieve the perfect pinwheel, I always use my paper scoring tool (it was only $12 at JoAnn’s) and a paper cutter. If you’re really careful, you can use a pencil, ruler, and scissors in place of these tools. It will take longer, but it’s an alternative to buying specialized devices. All of the instructions in this tutorial will refer to the scoring tool, just bear that in mind. 

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

Cut your paper exactly in half by scoring it at the 6 inch point and cutting it with a scissors or paper cutter.

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

^^It was really hard to make the scoring lines visible in the pictures. Sorry about how saturated they are!^^

Then, cut one of those halves in half again at the 3 inch mark.

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

Then, score all all the way down the long (12 inch) side of each 3 inch wide piece of paper. Make a mark every half an inch.

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

Fold both pieces of paper accordion style, beginning as shown, with the colorful side folded back to start.

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

Cut four thin strips of packing tape and stick them someplace handy. Fold each accordioned piece of paper into a fan shape and secure with packing tape.

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

Then, use double sided tape (I prefer to use the double sided tape that comes on a roller) to stick the centers of each fan together. Flip the pinwheel over.

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

Place a thin piece of packing tape as shown below. Fold the tape over the gap between each fan piece and tape to secure the edges of each fan together. Repeat on the other seam of the pinwheel.

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

How-to: Make the Perfect Pinwheel | HandsOccupied.com

Ta da! Knowing how to make a good pinwheel comes in more handy than you’d think. Here are a few projects I’ve done using pinwheels:

How-to: Wedding Fascinator | HandsOccupied.com

ribbon pinwheel wedding fascinator

Peppermint Schnapps Swirl Cupcakes | HandsOccupied.com

peppermint pinwheel decorations for a party

The picture at the top of this post shows how I wrapped a Christmas present using the pinwheel from the tutorial photos, adding just a bit of baker’s twine to secure the pinwheel accent!

 

Filed Under: DIY Wedding, How-to, Parties Tagged With: decor, diy, How-to, paper crafts, parties, pinwheel, wedding

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is an artist, author and crafts designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame. In addition to running the Hands Occupied Blog and Pattern Shop, you can find her making videos & co-hosting the Very Serious Crafts podcast.

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Comments

  1. jackie mabbott

    December 10, 2013 at 10:47 am

    absolutely lovely, and so well explained, thank you.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Bone Folder v. Scoring Board | WhimseyboxWhimseybox says:
    January 10, 2014 at 11:00 am

    […] Paper Pinwheels via Hands Occupied […]

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

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There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s ab There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s about how I’m going to take the next 2 weeks off to rest & recharge. ☺️🧶 No new content for y’all means I can also take a moment to zoom out & plan what’s next. Link is in bio. 
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A note on Very Serious Crafts: In the post I discuss stepping away from the @seriouscrafts podcast to give myself more time to devote to some minor medical issues. Don’t you worry - my health will be fine, & @molliejohanson @redhandledscissors and I are still pals, and after a short break of their own, the podcast will be back! Just sans moi. 💁🏼‍♀️😆 
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See you in a couple weeks! ✌🏻#handsoccupied #knitdesign #craftdesign #sofadedsweater
Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it shoul Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it should be. ☺️🎄The past few days have been filled with a lot of catching up on festive zoom calls & raising toasts to the camera. 🥂 Connecting with people has been a welcome change of pace! Now I’m feeling ready to meet my inevitable end-of-year deadlines. 😆
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Warmest wishes for the season, my friends! ❤️💛💙
Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker beh Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker behind Hands Occupied! 👋🏻 I’ve been enjoying making Reels a lot lately, but I wanted to bop in to share a regular photo & say hello. 🤓 
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rather than giving you my bio right now, I have a question. I just got this new sweater & I can’t stop imaging how funny it would be to wear this to a knitting class ... is that bad? 🤣🤣🤣
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Pictured: a blond woman with glasses wearing a sweater that reads “all your sweaters are ugly” standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is o Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is one of the most common methods for finishing a knitting project and helping ensure its final size and shape. Learn basic blocking for absolute beginners in an easy-to-follow (non-Reel!) video tutorial! Catch the tutorial on YouTube or the Hands Occupied Blog, link is in bio. 🧶 #handsoccupied #stopswatchandblockit #KPAmbassadorsDec20 #sponsored
Had to share this perfect capture of one of my fav Had to share this perfect capture of one of my favorite weird homemade Christmas ornaments: a simple macramé Santa face with beads for the eyes and nose! My Great-Grandma made it too. 🎄
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Might have to try making a quickie Reel tutorial for this guy - I think it’s the perfect project for it, don’t you? 🎅🏼 #handsoccupied #macrame
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