Summer decorating doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Use whimsical pinwheels to liven up any space with a fun, festive and inexpensive centerpiece.

The centerpiece I’ve created here only cost me $6 for everything.  Paula had an old galvanized bucket laying around her house, so I cleaned it up and thought that it would great if I planted some variegated monkey grass in it. Then I “planted” some of these great pinwheels to add some color and most of all, fun!

You can really use any potted plant you already had at your house. Or just grab a glass vase, and let your colorful pinwheels be the flowers!

Other ideas for use:
Bridal shower party favors (use paper in the bride’s colors),
Inexpensive party decorations
Fun centerpiece inside colored bottles
Rainy day craft project for children


Making a Paper Pinwheel
Yields: 1

Ingredients:
1 piece of colorful paper (light to medium stock/scrapbooking type paper), cut into a perfect square of any size
1 brad
1 dowel with one hole (big enough for the brad to thread through) drilled 1/2-inch from the end
Wind

Directions:

1. Lay the paper on a flat surface and fold the bottom left-hand corner to the top right-hand corner, creating a diagonal line. Unfold and repeat for the other side. Unfold and you should have a perfect “X” in your square.

2. Cut along the folds (on all four corners) halfway to the middle of the paper.

3. Punch a hole into the exact middle of the paper and every other corner cut (there will be 5 holes total including the center).

4. Fold each corner (with a hole) to the middle of the paper and align with the center hole.

5. Push the brad through the aligned holes and then through the hole on the dowel. Separate the ends of the brad to secure.

6. Blow!