A 4th of July Themed Pinwheel

Hi!  I haven't done a lot of crafting for the 4th of July this year.  I did buy, FINALLY, a barn star that was painted as an American Flag, which I thought was cool. But today, I decided to craft a little something.

The Pinwheel Punch by We R Memory Keepers isn't new, but it is new to me.  I decided to make a pinwheel for my granddaughter and came up with a few hints and tips that I thought you would like to know.  I haven't researched anyone else's blogs for experiences.  I came up with this all on my own.  If I do describe something that someone else already covered, it is purely coincidental.

For my methods along with the pinwheel kit and board, you will also need 3/8" x 12" wooden dowels, some adhesive, an extra strip of coordinating paper 3/8" x 12", and if you want, some sort of embellishment to go on top of the mechanism.

 This is how mine turned out.  The papers are an old line by K and Company.  I only had 3 papers left, I used 2 (cut to 11" square) to make this 14 1/2" pinwheel.

 After making the two pinwheel pieces you have to line them up.  There is a hole created in the middle of the papers that the mechanism goes through.  I used a little adhesive around the hole, just enough to hold the papers in alignment.  I didn't do this the first time, and they slipped, the adhesive solved that problem.  After putting the top of the mechanism on I added a chipboard embellishment to it to cover it.

 On the back I decided to take a 3/8" x 12" piece of paper that was leftover, added adhesive, and wrapped it around the back of the mechanism.  This created an extra space between the handle and the pinwheel.  I found that if I didn't do it then when the pinwheel turned it hit the handle.  This gave a little more space and it did't hit the handle anymore.

 This is the picture of the dowel inside the paper tube.  I'm making this for my granddaughter to play with.  It needs to be a little more sturdy.  It slid in easy, but fit tight.  It won't come out.

This is the whole mechanism...The top left is the cap, then the tube that the pinwheel goes on which fits over the right piece.  The hollow tube fits over the paper stem, I added the dowel.  It works perfectly.  I think I am going to make more now!

Have a fun and safe Independence day!

Michelle🌟