paper pinwheel straws

Forget boring wooden sticks for the base of paper pinwheels. Use patterned paper straws instead!
photo via Home Made Simple

Home Made Simple shares simple directions to make playful paper pinwheels...

MATERIALS:
square pieces of lightweight paper*
ruler
pencil
hole punch
scissors
paper drinking straw
paper
ribbon or fabric strips, optional
double-sided tape, optional
flat head brass fastener**

*Tip: The thicker the paper, the harder it is to shape the pinwheel. Look for thin sheets colored or patterned on both sides, or use rubber cement to create your own double-sided paper.
**Tip: For best results, use gold-colored fasteners with thin ends, like the kind often found in elementary school classrooms.

 INSTRUCTIONS:
1. With a ruler or other straight edge, draw a line from one corner of the square piece of paper to the other. Repeat for the other corners, creating 4 triangles that form an X.
2. Punch a hole in the center of the X. On each line, make a mark 1/2” from the hole. Starting at the corners, cut along the lines you drew, stopping at the marks you just made.
3. Punch a hole in one side of each corner, keeping them consistent. For example, if you punch one hole to the right of the cut, punch the next hole to the right of the cut, too.
4. With scissors or the sharp point of a pencil, carefully poke a hole through a straw, about 1/2” from the top. For prettier (and sturdier) pinwheels, wrap straws with double-sided tape, then paper, ribbon or fabric strips prior to poking the holes.
5. Working one at a time, bend the holed corners of the paper toward the center, aligning the holes. Push the ends of the brass fastener through the holes, then slide the ends through the holes in the straw. Bend back the ends of the fastener to secure to the straw. Tip: For a pinwheel that spins perfectly, be sure the paper and straw holes are big enough. Use the ends of your brass fastener as a point of reference—they should be able to easily slide through the holes.
photo via lemon jitters

If you'd like to still be able to use the paper straws for drinking, Lisa Leonard shares how to make paper pinwheel toppers that tie on to paper straws...
Once you've created a pinwheel, wrap some bakers twine from underneath the brad in the center, and then around the straw. Tie it nice and tight.
photos via Lisa Leonard

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