Ring in your New Year with a festive handmade backdrop for your party. These paper pinwheels in various metallics are a great way to add a little glam on a tight budget. Whether you use the pinwheels to accessorize your bar or as a backdrop for midnight photos, you can customize your sizes and colors to easily decorate for your party!

Supplies for Paper Pinwheels:

8.5 x 11 inch card stock in various colors (we used metallics and blues here)Mini staplerScissorsYarnScoring board and stickTape (to hang your finished product)

Paper Pinwheels Instructions:

Step 1: Score paper for the pinwheel

Layout your paper on your scoring board. For this specific pinwheel, we turned out paper horizontally and scored at every 3/4 of an inch (0.75″). You can also score at 1/2″ or score vertically but this will change the size of your pinwheel and also change the amount of paper needed.

Step 2: Fold where you scored the paper

Fold your paper back and forth in an accordion fold at the lines where you scored the paper. Try to keep your folds as straight as possible

Step 3: Cut the last piece

Cut off the last small piece (that wasn’t quite 3/4″) of the paper.

Step 4: Push down and pinch

Push the folds down and pinch in the middle of the folds.

Step 5: Fan out inner folds toward each other

Fold the paper in half where you pinched the folds and then pull the inner folds up towards each other. Two piece from the each side should lay flat against each other.

Step 6: Staple in place

Staple these pieces of paper in place to create a 180-degree accordion half circle.

Step 7: Repeat and staple two half circles

Repeat steps 1-6 to create another 180 degree half circle. This will complete your other side. If you chose to fold at 1/2″ or vertically (see step 1), you may need to make 1-2 more folds to complete your circle. Staple the two half circle (at the folds that align against each other) in place.

Step 8: Wrap string around the openings of your paper pinwheels

Use a piece of string to pull wrap around the openings in each side of the 180 degree half circle. Pull tight and tie in place. This will finish up your paper pinwheel!

Make a few more in various colors and sizes. Use tape to place up on the walls in an overlapping pattern to accessorize your party or round out your backdrop!