DIY Patriotic Pinwheels

Courtney from A Diamond in the Stuff is back with another fun and creative guest post! Make sure you check out her amazing blog, HERE.

We are a military family. My husband is in the Air Force, so being patriotic is a part of our daily lives. Our flag is always flying and we are surrounded by the red, white and blue. I absolutely love it. I love that we are reminded constantly of the sacrifices being made by so many, and the core values of this country. With Memorial Day here and the 4^th of July coming soon, it’s a great opportunity to show our love for our country and support those who protect it.

A classic symbol of summer for me, is pinwheels. When I heard that George Washington carried some home from the Revolutionary War, I felt that they also make a great example of Americana. So I decided to make some patriotic pinwheels.

Supplies:

• K&Company Americana Paper Pad – Note: This paper pack is no longer available but this project would look great with Red, White & Blue Core’dinations Paper!
• Wood Dowel Rods-5/16 inch
• Glitter Tubes-Assorted Bright Colors
• Hot Glue Gun & Hot Glue Sticks
• Glue Gun Helper
• Mod Podge
• Upholstery Tacks
• Paper Trimmer
• Scissors

I went through my pack of scrapbook paper and picked out the sheets I wanted to use. Make sure your paper is double sided and that you like the print on both sides, as they will both show. If you are using 12×12 inch paper, then you will cut it into 4 equal quarters. I used a paper trimmer to cut my papers.

 Once you have your squares cut, grab your scissors. At each corner of the square, cut into it a couple inches diagonally.

Use a small paint brush or foam brush to apply Mod Podge to all 4 edges of the square. Then sprinkle glitter over the Mod Podge covered edges. I choose to use red, white, and blue glitter to compliment the papers.

Once the Mod Podge and glitter is dry, place a small dollop of hot glue directly in the middle of the square. Make sure you have  chosen which side of the paper you want to be the front and the back.

After adding the dollop of hot glue to the middle of the square, grab one of the cut corners and pull it over and place it in the glue.

Once you have glued the first corner down, continue glue 4 of the corners down. You will be alternating which corners to glue, gluing every other one down to the center of the square. I used a finger protector from my Glue Gun Helpers set.

When I had all of the pieces glued down, I applied another round of Mod Podge and glitter to the now exposed edges.

Next, you will grab one of the dowel rods and an upholstery tack. Use a hammer to carefully tap the tack into the dowel slightly. You will want it in about half way so you don’t crack the dowel. Once you’ve started the hole, you can remove the tack.

Take your upholstery tack and push it through the middle of your pinwheel.

Once the tack is sticking through the back of the pinwheel, you will poke it back into the hole that you started in your dowel. Make sure not to push the tack in so far that the pinwheel won’t spin. After all, what is a pinwheel if it won’t spin?

They turned out so fun and festive!

Wouldn’t these make a great centerpiece at your Memorial Day BBQ or your 4^th of July bash?

Google+