How to Make Grubby Homespun Pinwheels

Enjoy the imperfection and simplicity of making primitive crafts for your home decor, holiday decorating or as gifts for family and friends. Make grubby homespun pinwheels in fabric colors of your choice, and stain with a mixture of spices and other ingredients. The dried scent of the spices will provide a soothing nostalgic aroma. Arrange the pinwheels in a jar for a side table centerpiece, porch decoration, or insert them in a plant as a poke.

Things You'll Need

• Homespun fabric scraps, two
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Fusible web
• Iron
• Cup of tea
• Teaspoon
• Brown acrylic paint
• Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
• Sponge brush
• Disappearing ink pen
• Straight pins
• Hand sewing needle and thread
• 1/2-inch flat button
• Hot glue gun
• Wooden skewer

Instructions

1. Cut two, 6-inch contrasting squares from the two homespun fabric scraps. Cut one, 6-inch square from fusible web.

2. Place one fabric square on your ironing surface with the wrong side up. Lay the fusible web square on the fabric, with the glue side down and matching the edges. The paper side of the fusible web will be facing up. Iron the fusible web to the fabric, gluing the two pieces together. Allow the fused web to cool.

3. Peel off the paper from the fused web. Place the fused square on your ironing surface with the fusible web side up. Lay the remaining fabric square over the fusible web, with the right side up. Iron the fabric, gluing it to the fusible web. The fusible web is now sandwiched between the two fabric squares.

4. Mix a grubby stain of one cup of hot tea, with a teaspoon each of brown acrylic paint, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Paint both sides of the fused square, using a sponge brush. Allow the fabric to dry.

5. Lay the fused square with either side facing up. Lay a ruler, diagonally across the square, from one corner to the other. Draw a line along the ruler, using a disappearing ink pen. Lay the ruler, diagonally across the square, from one of the remaining corners to the other. Draw a line along the ruler. You now have an "X" over the square's surface.

6. Measure from the middle point of the "X", to one corner. Find the halfway point of this measurement and mark on the line. Repeat the marks on each of the three remaining legs of the "X."

7. Cut along an "X" leg, from one corner to the halfway point. Repeat on the remaining legs of the "X". You now have four fan blades cut in your square.

8. Lay the square on your work surface. Fold the top left corner of the top fan blade to the center of the square. Pin the corner to the center of the square. Turn the square a quarter rotation to the right. Fold the top left corner of the new top fan blade to the center of the square. Pin the corner. Repeat with the remaining fan blades. These pinned blades create the shape of the pinwheel.

9. Hand sew the points to the square, through all thicknesses. When secure, sew a 1/2-inch flat button over the center points of the pinwheel. This is the front of the homespun pinwheel. Apply hot glue to the point of a wooden skewer and insert it up the back, to the middle of the grubby homespun pinwheel.