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Select a fan shape according to the occasion. If the fan is for Valentine's Day, find a heart-shaped template or pattern.
Trace and cut out two of the desired shape from decorative paper. Place one face down onto a flat surface. Glue a craft stick to the paper at the center with a portion of the stick extending beyond the paper.
Next, glue the other cut-out onto the first with the printed side facing upward. Press your hands outward along the paper's surface to smooth. Let dry. Add embellishments such as ribbon or silk flowers along the bottom. -
Locate spare wrapping paper, magazines or wallpaper. Cut out an arched rectangular approximately 2 1/2 inches wide with a bottom curve of 3 1/2 inches and a top curve of 6 1/2 inches. Create a lacey motif at the top of the paper using a craft paper punch.
Place four craft sticks together in a fan shape. At their crossing point, hot glue into place and bind with ribbon.
Glue the rectangle to the fanned out portion of the sticks. The paper should touch the stick tips. Smooth out any creases.
Alternatively, cut out a rectangle from recycled paper. Fold the paper like an accordion into .5 inch wide pleats.
Decorate two craft sticks to complement the paper. Consider abstract, writings or adhesive embellishments. Affix one stick onto each side end of the pleated paper, leaving 1.5 inches of stick unadorned. Open the fan by bringing both sticks together so that they touch.
Before folding accordion pleated fans, cut paper into fanciful shapes such as butterflies or poinsettias. -
Locate ten inch paper doilies which come in a variety of lace designs including Cambridge and White Rose. Textures and materials come in glassine, gold or silver foil and embossed to name a few.
Trim one edge of a 12-by-12 inch patterned scrapbook paper with decorative edged craft scissors. Next, cut one 10-inch doily in half. Glue each half to the back top corner of the scrapbook paper to accentuate the scalloped edges. Set them at angles, forming a triangular shape between them.
When dry, fold 1/2-inch pleats and crease. Cut off a small piece of the inside pleat where the bottom middles converge. Insert one cut half into the other, joining them together. Glue and dry.
Insert a decorative ribbon through a paper punched hole near the bottom center. Glue the backs of the folded ribbon to keep them in place.
Affix wide wire ribbon to either side of the end pleats to give form to the fan.
