Festive Pinwheels Make a Lovely Decoration for Christmas and the Holidays

Pinwheels or paper windmills are traditionally thought of as being a children's play thing for the garden. The pinwheels are normally attached to a stick and allowed to blow around in the wind.

There are many other ways that pinwheels can be used. They make lovely card toppers, are ideal for adding to a gift as an alternative to a bow or ribbon, or - as we've done here - used to make unusual decorations for Christmas and the holidays.

These tiny pinwheels have been made from pieces of red and green paper that have been stamped and embossed with a glittery embossing powder before cutting into 4" squares.

Materials

• Red and green paper
• Festive rubber stamps
• Embossing ink and embossing powders
• Craft wire
• Tiny beads (optional)

To make the festive pinwheels, stamp and emboss one or both sides of a piece of paper. Stamping on one side, or using different colored inks, emphasizes the construction of the pinwheel. Follow the instructions in this article, How to Make a Pinwheel, which explains how to make a pinwheel in more detail.

To finish the pinwheels, thread a small piece of craft wire through the pinwheel from the back to the front. Thread small beads onto this and bend the wire back through the hole. Twist the two ends of the wire together and use this to attach the pinwheels to a ribbon or cord to use as a decoration.

See the next page for a variation on this idea.