Do you have plans for the 4th of July? If you’re staying in for the long weekend and are looking for a fun art project that will WOW, make these impressive GIANT paint splattered pinwheels with the kids. The best part is that they actually do spin! Watch the fun video above. These enormous pinwheels make a fun accessory or decor for your BBQ or family gathering this weekend.
Materials:
28″ x 22” plain white cardboard (you will trim this down to 22” x 22” square)
Thick rigid wire. We used a heavy duty plastic coated floral wire
Large wooden craft beads
Small hole punch
Fine point scissors
Wooden dowel – 1/2” diameter and 48” long
Drill or push drill for making a small hole at the top of your dowel
Spray bottles with liquid watercolor – we used red and turquoise
Foam star stickers – to create a star pattern resist
Acrylic craft paint in assorted colors – for stripes and abstract patterns
Paint palette for color mixing
Paint brush
Water cup
Instructions:
1. Cut a large square piece of poster board (we used 22” x 22”).
2. Mark the center point of the square by measuring half way down from the top and half way across from the left side.
3. Draw straight lines with a ruler from each of the corners through the center point.
4. Mark 3” from the center point on each of the lines.
5. Cut along each of the lines from the corner to the 3” mark.
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6. Paint your poster board squares! We played around with a few different painting techniques:
foam star stickers resist splatter (spray bottle) painting, summery stripes, and abstract brushstrokes.
8. Push the point of a scissors through the center point of the square.
9. Punch holes in each of the corners that you have decided to fold into the center point. This will be done to every other corner.
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10. Drill a hole through your dowel near the top.
11. Run the wire through the hole and wrap the tail end around the dowel one time.
12. String two wooden beads onto the wire and push them tight against the dowel.
13. Cut a circular piece of cardboard with a utility knife (parents only). We traced the perimeter of a roll of painters tape to get the appropriate size. Push the point of a scissors through the center of your circle.
14. String the cardboard circle onto the wire and push it tight against the wooden beads.
15. Fold the corners of your pinwheel into the center, aligning all of the holes that you have punched.
16. Push the wire through the back of the pinwheel and through the holes in each of the corners.
17. String a wooden bead onto the wire and push it tight against the pinwheel.
18. Bend the end of the wire so that it holds everything tightly enough for the pinwheel to spin freely.
19. Cut off any excess wire.
Aren’t these amazing and super cool? Kids will love twirling their giant pinwheels around!
Check out more fun 4th of July Crafts for Kids and lots more creative projectss HERE.
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Meet Arielle Goddard – Los Angles based artist, designer, arts educator, mother of two girls, and founder of ART CAMP. Arielle has been teaching and developing art programs for close to 20 years. If you are looking for fresh, elevated, arts, crafts, and DIY inspiration follow her blog, Instagram and Pinterest.
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Agnes Hsu is a mom of three and has been inspiring parents and kids to get creative with easy activities and family friendly recipes for over 10 years. She shares her love for creative play and kids food to her 2MM+ followers online. Agnes' commitment to playful learning and kindness has not only raised funds for charity but also earned features in prestigious nationwide publications.