birthday prep - paper pinwheels.

my friend and i were talking the other day and she said there are 2 types of families in the world - the type that doesn't make a big deal out of birthdays and the type that does. 

i do believe we are the type that does. 

since we've been married we have never had a birthday, we've had a birthweek. we love to get together with family, have date days, eat good food, and celebrate. now we are crazy excited to do this for a baby. we've never decorated or thrown ourselves a party before, but we're sure as heck gonna do it for our kids. so, here begins her birthday week {actually, a few days early}. welcome to the birthday factory!

creative idea # 9: paper pinwheels
idea sparked by: there are tons of tutorials online, but i haven't found one that i've read and immediately understood how to make these things. {maybe i'm just reading the wrong ones...} this is my attempt to make a tutorial that at least i would understand :-) 

tools:

• 2 sheets of paper {i used computer paper. obviously the size you choose will effect the size of the pinwheel. i've also made mini ones out of book pages before}
• tape {both regular and double sided}
• string, yarn, or something else to tie with
• scissors
• hot glue gun {optional}
• circle punch in different color {optional}

directions:

• lay  papers end to end and tape together

• fold accordion style, end to end. {i'm confessing to you now that i am a recovering perfectionist. a few years ago i would have meticulously measured one inch increments along the length of the papers, folded them perfectly even, and, had i messed up, would have thrown it away and started all over. i cannot tell you how great it is to not be like that anymore. like i said though, i'm still recovering. instead of measuring perfectly, i fold the paper slightly smaller than the previous fold because when you press it down, it will become the same width as the last fold. see pic below}

 

• a few years ago i would have also busted out my ruler and measured the exact middle of my accordian fold so i would know where precisely to put my string. i clearly needed a life. this time around, i got smart and folded it all in half so i would know where the middle was.

• tie string in fold

• use double stick tape to stick the sides together

 

• if you want to hide the yarn, or simply help coordinated these further with your theme, hot glue a circle to the middle.

tada! crazy easy.

stay tuned for more birthday fun...

love and confetti, 

amber