4th of July Pinwheels

Amy Koranek

A fun project for the 4th of July.

Getting Started

Preheat oven to 285 °F. Test temperature with oven thermometer for perfectly cured clay. Condition all clay by kneading until it’s soft and smooth. Have an adult help you with baking your project.

Step 1

Roll White as thinly as possible using the Studio by Sculpey Acrylic Clay Roller or on the thickest setting of the Sculpey Clay Conditioning Machine - between 1/16" and 1/8" is good. Cut out a 1" square for each pinwheel you would like to make. This entire project is based on squares - the bigger the squares the bigger the pinwheels. These instructions are based on the 1" size to keep things simple. Score an "X" in the middle of the White square. Roll Red and Blue to the same thickness. For each pinwheel you'll need 2 Red and 2 Blue 1" squares.

Step 2

Cut each of the Red and Blue squares in half diagonally.

Step 3

Using the lines scored on the White square, arrange the triangles on top. Alternate the Blue and Red in pinwheel fashion with the long sides of the triangles always radiating out from the center.

Step 4

Cut out a 1/4" square of White and press it into the center. Push a paper fastener into the center of the little White square until it goes all the way through.

Place the pinwheel face down on a baking sheet. Bake at 285º for 20 minutes. Do not handle until completely cool.

Once cool, you may use the pinwheel to decorate frames, add a magnet, or a pin bar. To make a plant stake attach the pin wheel to a plastic straw. Flatten the end of the straw and punch a hole in it with a paper punch. Push the fastener through the hole and secure. To make a napkin ring, attach the fastener to some decorative cording.