Miss Dru of Polkadot Poplars is here with us today and I just love the project she brought to share with us…
4th of July Pinwheel Centerpiece is so adorable to make your July celebrations that much more fun!
Today I’m sharing one of my favorite tips when I’m planning for a special event…..a quick and inexpensive centerpiece idea. A simple decoration can make a huge difference when setting up a party. I used to just throw a plastic table cloth and some paper plates out and call it good, but learned that it’s the little details that can make a party memorable. I use this idea quite a bit now for parties and church activities. Since the 4th of July is coming up I thought I’d use this as my theme today.
I like to take a plant from outside or a houseplant and add a variety of picks or items I’ve attached to a dowel or skewer. For instance, with this example I purchased a few pieces of scrapbook paper and made some pinwheels and a fan. I cut a 4th of July tag out that was printed on the paper and attached it to a dowel. Then I made some quick paper pinwheels and an accordion fan and added those to dowels. I could also use flags, stars, sparkly pipe cleaners, etc. But, to keep it from looking too busy I left it as it was.
Pinwheels are so easy to make. If you’ve never made them before here’s what I do.
4th of July Pinwheel
- Cut a square of double sided paper. I like to use cardstock. For the one shown above I used a 6″x6″ piece with a 5″x5″ piece on top for added dimension. The small pinwheels in the arrangement are 4″x4″.
- For added cuteness use decorative scissors to cut a fun edge.
- Draw two lines from corner to corner on your square.
- Cut each corner, following the line, until you’re about an inch from the center.
- Roll the right corner of each section up and glue to the center. Do not fold flat. I don’t need my pinwheels to turn so I glued them, but you could easily insert a sewing pin into each corner and through the middle of the pinwheel and stick it into a skewer and it will blow in the wind. It should end up looking like this:
- For the center I like to glue something on. You could use a button, bead, chipboard shape, etc.
Accordion Fan
- I used two sizes of strips for my fan. What’s fun about these is that they can be made so many different ways. Use your imagination. I made a double fan. The inside fan is made of three 4″x12″ strips of cardstock. The outside fan piece is made from about three and a half 6″x12″ strips of cardstock.
- Accordion fold each strip. My folds were about 3/4″.
- Once all the strips were folded I glued them together in a line.
- Glue both ends of the strip together and press flat.
- If you’re going to make a double fan repeat with the wider strips and glue to the back of your smaller fan matching folds. Since the larger fan will have more folds you will need to make adjustments.
- You need to glue a center circle on to hold the fan together and keep it from popping up. I glue center circles on both the front and back of the fan.
- Add more detail, if desired.
Another fun tip is wrapping washi tape around your dowels to make them even more cute.
So, now, no more excuses for boring party decorations. Hopefully this will help. What are some tips you use when decorating for a party?
Come on over to Polka Dot Poplars and see some other 4th of July goodness.
Be sure to come visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
Leave a comment