Inspired Media

Paper Projects: Pinwheeeeeeels!

Supplies• Square-ish scrap of paper
– patterns are nice, but you can use whatever you’d like
• Scissors
• New (or new-ish) pencil with eraser still intact
• Pushpin

1. The goal is to have as square a piece of paper as possible.
So fold diagonally and cut off the excess to make a nice, square for your pinwheel.

2. Fold on the opposite diagonal as well to get your lines that go from corner to corner
– these will be your cut marks!

3. See?

4. Cut from each corner about halfway to the center, like so.

5. And it’s already time to assemble! Push your pin through the first corner.

I find it’s easiest to stick the pushpin through one corner at a time
(when you gather them all at once there’s always one that seems to slip out!).

When you’ve done all the corners, it should look like this!

6. The final push is through the base of the pinwheel and into the eraser of the pencil.

7. Enjoy! I think pinwheels are super relaxing to watch on a breezy summer day.
Happy paper projecting! Thanks for visiting Inspire(d)!

A Paper Project by Inspire(d) Media/Aryn Henning Nichols

These paper chicks are a fun spring project for the young and young-at-heart!

Supplies:
Construction paper or card stock in whatever colors you want for body, beak, and eyes (scraps work well, but make sure you have at least one piece that is 10-11 inches long)
Glue stick
Scissors
Sharpie or black pen or marker
Ruler
Pencil
Toilet paper roll or other similarly round object (for tracing)

1. Mark an inch-wide strip along the long side of the paper with your pencil. Cut. Repeat to get a second strip.

2. To create the body, roll first strip and glue at the bottom, leaving roughly three inches at end for start of tail.

3. Cut second strip in half. Roll and glue at bottom to create head.

4. Glue head to body…you can position further up the body so the chick is looking up, or down if you’d like it to be pecking the ground!

5. Mark a 2-inch by 3/4-inch strip on your beak paper (mine’s traditional orange, but do what you want to make it your own!). Cut.

6. Fold your cut piece in half and trim the corners, making the middle attached part the small side.

7. Fold in the bottom sides so there is a little lip to attach glue.

8. Glue the beak to the head wherever you’d like the beak positioned. Little fingers are handy here – I find securing the bottom, then the top is easiest.

9. Cut the remaining half strip of paper (mine’s yellow) in half again. Then cut in “feathers” – just snip your scissors into the strip multiple times, the long way, leaving some space for glue at one end. Snip into the bird’s current tail as well.

10. Glue feathers to tail and then curl with your pencil (if desired).

11. Use something circular to draw a circle on your paper for the wings (I used a candle holder, but a spice jar or toilet paper roll would work well). Cut out, then cut in half.

12. Like the tail feathers, snip your scissors into the rounded sides to create wing “feathers”. Fluff up if you’d like.

13. Glue, slightly overlapping, to the body.

14. Cut two small circle for eyes (I used white paper, but you can certainly have colored eyes!). The Sharpie works well to trace. Cut out, then mark the pupil (black part) with a marker or pen.

15. Glue eyes to body, and then you’re done! Happy Spring! If you’d like to share a photo of YOUR spring chick, please tag @Inspire(d) Media on Facebook (and like us at facebook.com/iloveinspired). Thanks for making our Spring 2012 Paper Project!

Supplies:

Paper (I like red for Chinese New Year, but you can use any you like, 8.5 x 11 works best)
Pencil
Tape or Stapler
Scissors

1. Make sure the your paper is wrong side up (if you’re using patterned paper, the pattern would be facing the table). Measure 1 inch from the short end and make a line with a pencil. Cut along the line and save this piece for your handle.

2. Fold the remaining paper lengthwise (keeping the wrong side out).

3. Measure 1 inch along the long (open) edge and make a line. Then, along the fold, make a mark every inch.

4. Cut up to the full line at each mark.

5. Turn your paper right side out.

6. Roll it into a tube and tape or staple the edges together.

7. Push the lantern down to open up the slits a bit.

8. Tape or staple the handle inside the top, and you’re done! Make several to hang in a doorway or just a few to decorate your home. But keep away from flames – these are for decorative purposes only!

Happy Chinese New Year!