What a child will like more than playing with a paper windmill is making one. Making a windmill with paper is relatively easy and mess-free. Once completed, hours of enjoyment will come and the child holds up her creation in the wind. This is a perfect project for school, bible class, or just at home on the weekends. The basic materials can be found at a craft or discount store. Paper windmills can be made in just a few short minutes.
First, fold the piece of paper diagonally and make a crease. Fold the paper again in the opposite direction and make another crease. For instance, line the bottom left corner up with the upper right-hand corner. Make the crease with your fingernail. The second fold will be bringing the lower right-hand corner with the upper left-hand corner. Another crease is made.
2
Unfold both sides. You now have your guidelines for cutting the paper. The paper should be creased in a perfect "X."
3
Use the scissors to cut along each crease. Cut all the way up until you are within 1 inch of the corner.
4
Color the front side of the paper with the markers. Turn it over and color the other side with a different color of marker.
5
Starting at the lower right-hand corner, bring the corners to the center of the paper. Hold all the corners in place with your finger. Hold the pencil behind the piece of paper with the eraser tip lined up with your finger that is holding the corners.
6
Stick the pin through the center of the paper where the corners are. Keep pushing the pin so that it goes through the eraser.
7
Take the windmill outside and watch it spin in the wind.
Tips & Warnings
Try gluing a bead in the middle of the windmill for an added design.
For smaller children, use glue and a Popsicle stick instead of the pin to keep them from sticking themselves. Put a small amount of glue to hold the corners together and then glue the Popsicle stick to the back. This windmill won't actually turn, but it is still fun to make.
Instead of a pencil and push pin, use a colored straw and paper fastener. This gives the windmill a more authentic look. You can also wrap satin ribbons around the pencil to make it more eye-appealing.
Try using several different colors on the windmill for a colorful, rainbow effect.
Most adults remember crafting paper windmills as children--the colorful triangles spinning rapidly on a breezy day. The procedure for making a cardboard...
