Patriotic Pinwheel Overkill.....

I got a little carried away making pinwheels this week.  Once I figured out how easy they are to make, I was spitting them out left and right.  Most of these are for "decorative use only" but I did make some real ones that actually spin, ordered of course by my kids.  They asked, "Mom, why are you making so many pinwheels when they don't even work?"   Because they're pretty!!

I made some patriotic cupcakes with mini pinwheels glued on toothpicks. 

My boys REALLY loved this craft.  I think after I snapped the last shot, ten cupcakes disappeared leaving the 3 inch frosting behind.

My extra paper scraps from the larger pinwheels worked perfectly for the toothpick pinwheels. 

Next, I made a pinwheel banner with a little rhinestone in the middle to finish it off.

I made some pinwheels on sticks for my flower pots....

And, a multi-colored pinwheel pieced together with left over scrapbook paper.  My son loved this one the best.  He sat beside me while I glued and glued,  singing all the patriotic songs he learned in Kindergarten.  I don't know how many times we sang...You're a Grand Old Flag....

And then I made a huge, gargantuan pinwheel for my door.  You could make it spin if you want to. Yeah, I did go a little crazy making pinwheels...

I used 52 cent, two toned poster board from Target.  For the stars I stenciled on some white stars.

In the middle, I put a small pinwheel made from scraps, topped with a star ornament.

I found the best directions for making pinwheels at Woman's Day. It's really simple.  Make a square, draw an X, cut in on the lines, leaving about an inch or more from the center depending on size of square. Fold in every other corner.  I used a glue gun for my "decorative" pinwheels.  For a working pinwheel, use a pin or tack and push into a straw and then into the back of an eraser head...at least that's what Woman's Day said.

You can use tacks and attach into wood dowels too.

I like the look of the double pinwheel.  I took my mini pinwheels and centered them on the regular sized pinwheel and added a little hot glue. 

I think it dresses up the regular old pinwheel.

When all my pinwheel making was done, my son asked me if he could have his favorite.

This is what I found on his door this morning. 

 All my craft blogging is rubbing off on him. :)

Nicole and I have just a few more patriotic projects we want to share with you, so stay tuned!

Centsational Girl's Stars and Stripes Party