One of my favorite things to do is to decorate for parties.
I made this vintage book page pinwheel banner with the intent to use it for a {vintage hot air balloon themed} baby shower that I am throwing for my sister in June.
Well, I have already used it for two parties and a little photo shoot with Ella.
It is so fun to have around, so I thought I would share a tutorial with the steps on how to make it.
First, pick up an old book at a yard sale or thrift store. I found this vintage German encyclopedia at a thrift store for $1.00- Can't beat that! I prefer encyclopedias or dictionaries whenever I use old book pages for crafts like this. The lettering is closer together and they usually have a nice sized blank border as well. But, really, any book with strong pages and a nice patina will work perfectly.
Carefully pull several book pages out of your book. Sometimes it is easier to look at the top of the book, see the sections that are bound together, and pull out an entire section at a time. That way you are breaking the thread seams and not ripping the pages.
Next, Fan fold your book pages. You will use two pages per pinwheel. If you are careful, you can stack your pages and fan fold them at the same time. {This is what I usually do}
Take your pages individually, with the folds all compressed, fold in half and glue together. Each page is one half of your pinwheel.
Next, grab a long piece of ribbon. I just used an organza ribbon I had in my scrap ribbon stash. For aesthetic reasons, you want to make sure that your ribbon is not thicker than the folds of your fan.
I used a tube of lotion as my spacer to make sure that I spaced my pinwheels evenly.
Once you know where you want to place your pinwheel, glue one of your halves on one side of your ribbon. Then, glue the other half to the other side to form a round pinwheel.
Once you have your pinwheel attached to the ribbon, reinforce the centers of some of your folds with dots of glue to prevent them from fanning open.
Repeat until you reach your desired length.
And you're finished!
I hope you enjoy making these as much as I do! They are a fun way to add whimsy to a space.
If you make one, let me know how it goes!
I am linking up at this cute blog
and here:
Julia
What a cute project! I love it so much that I decided to feature it in our roundup of pinwheel crafts! Check it out here: https://www.favecraftsblog.com/link-love-pinwheels-crafts/
Have a great day!
Liz Stevens
This is adorable! Can't wait to see how the shower turns out!
http://www.gimmesomestyleblog.com
Music with Karen
Love this idea! I am going to try it with pages from old sheet music I have. I am a music teacher and have tons of it lying around that I will no longer use.
Mary
Hi Kristen! LOVE your blog! I've been trying this but I'm having problems. With the first book I tried, the pages were too old and they just crumbled when folded. On the second attempt, after folding the pages and glueing each half to itself, the pages "collapse." When I try glue the two halves together, they don't stand straight up. I'm wondering if you've ever encountered this...I'm assuming the pages are too thin (they are from a literature anthology from 1928), but I'm wondering if you've ever had any luck with any sort of spray or something that might give them a little more umph....I LOVE the book, and the pages! Thank you!
Arlene
LOVE your blog!!!
tattered elegance
so cute and seems so easy! can't wait to try this!!
theelizabethhighsmith
Thank you! Going to do this for a baby shower using scrapbook paper!
Debbiedoo's
You are just so clever...I may have to try this! I have the old books and one day I was thinking what can I do with those pages...actually I just had another idea pop in my head as we speak!
stephanie
What a great idea. Love it!