How to make beautiful paper pinwheels


By Caitlin Murray Giles


Planning a block party? Heading out for the local Fourth of July parade? Make some pinwheels to bring along as entertainment for the kiddos.


  • Assorted decorative paper
  • Pencils with erasers
  • Push pins or brads (available in the scrapbooking section of the craft store)
  • Scissors
  • A ruler or measuring tape


  1. To begin your pinwheel, cut your decorative paper into squares about 5 inches by 5 inches. I recommend using a measuring tape or ruler to make sure you really do have a perfect square.
  2. To create a contrasting effect, glue together two different prints back to back. If you choose this variation, be sure to let the glue dry completely before moving on to the next step so the paper doesn't peel.
  3. Once you have your square, fold it corner to corner diagonally, then unfold it and fold it again corner to corner the opposite way.
  4. Use your scissors to cut along each of the folded lines, stopping about half-way down.
  5. Gather every other corner and carefully fold it down towards the center.
  6. Insert your push pin or brad (a decorative scrapbooking tool) into the center of the gathered papers, making sure you go through all corners.
  7. Select a pencil with an eraser (both solid colored and decorative pencils work well for this project).
  8. Without letting go of the pin or paper edges, push the pin or brad though the eraser on your pencil. Use care to ensure that the pin does not poke through the eraser and prick any little fingers.
  9. These homemade pinwheels won't spin around quite as fast or smooth as the store-bought variety. However, if you wiggle the pin around to make the hole a bit larger, you will be able to get your pinwheel spinning.

