Kids' Craft: Easy Pencil Pinwheel

With just a little help from an adult, kids can craft these handmade paper pinwheels to add a splash of color to playtime.

By Jessica Kesterson, Living the Swell Life
Filed under: Crafts, Handmade

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Materials Needed:

wooden pencils with erasers
scissors
straight pearl sewing pins

needle-nose pliers
colorful card stock or double-sided paper (available at your local scrapbooking store)

Bend Pins

Using pliers, bend pins to create a 90-degree angle, approximately 1/3 of the length up from the pin's pointed end.

Cut Paper

Cut paper into 4"x4" or 5"x5" squares. Using scissors, make four diagonal cuts toward the paper's center, stopping at least half an inch shy of the center.

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Fold Paper and Assemble Pinwheel

Place paper on table and fold points to the left of each cut toward the center (Image 1). Hold the folded points in place while you push a pin through the center, being careful to catch all four folded corners. Next, gently guide paper around the bend in pin, sliding the pinwheel out to the pin's pearl end. Finally, firmly press the pin's pointed end straight down into the pencil's eraser (Image 2). Your pinwheel is complete — give it a spin (Image 3)!