Easy Breezy Pinwheel Light

This fun & easy project will liven up a children's room or nursery.

**disclaimer!**  If you are using incandescent light bulbs, please allow yourself PLENTY of space between light bulb and paper pinwheels! We use compact fluorescents, which give off little heat.

Step 1: Assemble your supplies

I used an umbrella-shaped piece from an old chandelier. It really was the ugliest thing in the thrift store, but it's been broken down into two light fixtures now. If you don't have a structure to put your pinwheels onto, you could chain them together and dangle them as well to great effect!

I also used card stock-weight paper, construction paper would work well.
brads from a craft store
scissors (don't tell Ryan Gosling I used my fabric scissors, lol! http://handmaderyangosling.tumblr.com/post/18069256038/submitted-by-meejay03 )  
darning needle or other large needle to poke a hole, glue gun
I used a rotary cutter and mat, but if you don't have those things, it's still pretty easy to cut a square!
Also pictured is thread that I didn't end up using.

Step 2: Cut your squares

I cut 5x5inch squares and thought it made a nice sized pinwheel. You could go smaller, but it may be hard to go much bigger.

I estimated how many I needed and came up with 15 and cut them in all different colours.

Step 3: Cut in from each corner

Cut towards the centre of your square, starting at each corner. Leave a space in the centre of each square like an invisible 1 inch square. Repeat for all of your squares.

Step 4: Poke out 5 holes

With your darning needle, poke a hole in the same corner of each 'triangle' shaped piece of your square. Poke a hole in the very centre as well. 

Step 5: Assemble your pinwheels

The first few may be a bit finicky while you get the hang of it. The beauty of this is that once they are all in place on the light, no one will notice the odd crease or bend you may have made by accident.

Take one of your brads and poke it through the first hole, with the 'legs' of the brad facing toward you. (follow the steps with the images, it's a hard one to explain!)  Then poke the brad through the next hole, then the third and finally, the fourth corner. After you have caught all four corners on your brad, poke it through the centre hole and flatten out the legs. Charming pinwheel!  Repeat these steps and finish your pinwheels.

Step 6: Put your pinwheels on your framework

I added extra brads where they wouldn't be noticed and instead of flattening them against the back of the pinwheel, I folded them around the framework that would be my lightshade.  Since I had spraypainted the framework, I also thought that hot glue would stick to it, so I also tacked a few of the pinwheels here and there to keep in place. The whole thing took 5 minutes and I just finished it and hung it right up, so no pics of this step. Depending on what you want to affix your pinwheels to, clamping them on with brads like I did, or glueing with hot glue would work equally well. Also, twist ties, fishing line, light gauge wire like you'd use for jewellry...all would work well. 

Please remember my tip about using CFL bulbs! And if you are a dinosaur and insist on using incandescent, please have a fire extinguisher handy at all times. (not joking, not a little bit!)

Flip the switch and enjoy your new light! AND, it's just as lovely during the day with the light off!

Comments

[jessyratfink]

Very cute! I could see this being done with all kinds of origami. :)