Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Pinwheel Bow/Ornament :: Tutorial

My family moved to Tennessee 22 years ago in hopes of making a better life.  We loaded up a truck with the basics...children, furniture, beds, clothes.  Necessities.  We left our family for what felt like a move to a foreign country.  Nashville.  It was a culture shock and I often wondered what had we gotten ourselves into!

We had very little money and lived in a two bedroom apartment, but we made do.  Our first Christmas was approaching and I realized we didn't have any Holiday goodies to decorate the tree.  I bought a few boxes of cheap ornaments, we strung popcorn and made ornaments to fill the tree.  Christmas on a budget.  

I was finishing up my Secret Santa gift for our Guild Holiday party on Saturday, when I remembered about that Christmas.  The kids and I made little pinwheel ornaments using fabric and I tried to remember how I made them back then.  Which I couldn't!  But I did come up with a version just like what I remembered.  

I thought it's the Holidays!  I should do a tutorial!  They could be ornaments, bows on a package, gift tags or a bow for your hair...and they are so simple to make!  I hope you like them!


PINWHEEL BOW/ORNAMENT
3", 2" and 1 1/4"
The pinwheels come in three sizes: 3", 2" and 1 1/4".  You can embellish anyway you choose!  Glitter, jewels, buttons or beads!  Be creative and enjoy!

Supplies:
Steam-A-Seam or lightweight double sided fusible interfacing
scrap fabric 
small button

Below is the cutting chart for each pinwheel size.  I've also included center measurements and the corner cuts. 





I'm using Steam-A-Seam and it works great.  You can also use a lightweight double sided fusible interfacing as well. 

For this tutorial, I'll be making the 3" pinwheel. 

  

Step 1:  
Cut your fusible web and two (2) fabrics to 3 1/4".  I have allowed an extra 1/4" for trimming and fusing.  



Step 2:
Layer your squares.  Fabric 1 is wrong side up, interfacing and fabric 2 right side up.  Fuse together and set with your iron.

Trim to 3" square.  

  

Step 3:
Mark the center of the square at 1 1/2" with a dot, and 1 1/4" diagonal lines from the corner towards the center.



Step 4: 
Using sharp scissors, cut each corner along the line.



Step 4:
At this point you need to decide which fabric will be the back and the front.  I used the green for the back so it showed when folded over.  

Make a knot at the end of your needle and thread.  Going through the front, poke your needle through to the back and come back up to the front.  This way when the corners are sewn the knot will be hidden.  



Step 5:
Push your needle through the point and draw it through.  

  

Continue around the block until you have all four (4) points done.  



Step 6:

Add your button and secure it tightly.  






Step 7:
Add a hanging string and you are finished!  I used floss for my pinwheels.  You could also use tiny ribbon or a pin.  I even thought double sided tape or foam dots would be great if you wanted to put it directly on a package.

*Because of the raw edges, there will be a bit of fraying.   



If your looking for something quick and easy to make with a handmade touch,  these pinwheels may be the perfect project!  

I'd love to see what you come up with...please tag me on Instagram: @twiggyandopal, or email me: jaynebug{at}comcast{dot}net, #pinwheelbowtutorial


LINKING:

25 comments :

  1. Those are adorable!! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I think you remembered correctly; they are so cute.

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    1. It was fun to reminisce and to make these again! So simple and fun. I can see them in Holiday fabrics, which I didn’t have one stitch of in my stash!

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  3. These are adorable! I'm going to show them to my daughter and see if I can con her into making some with me for the tree. They would look lovely hanging with the homemade ornaments from our guilds exchange last weekend. And they seem cat proof too :)

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    1. Spoken like a true mother! It takes a certain level of cleverness to ‘con’ our children! I hope you can talk her into it making them. They are very fun, cute and easy!

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  4. Very cute!!! Now where did my button stash go..... :D

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    1. Funny you should mention the button stash! I recently got rid of my stash because I never use buttons! I had to scour my house for the few I needed for these pinwheels!

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  5. These are super sweet, Jayne. Thank you so much for sharing - about the tutorial and the leap you and your family made 22 years ago.

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    1. I couldn’t believe it had been 22 years already! We took a leap of faith and eventually it paid off! Tennessee stills feels like a foreign country in a lot of ways though!

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  6. These are so cute! Thanks so much for sharing this festive tutorial for brightening up our holidays!

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  7. Very sweet. Someone made me one of those as an ornament except they added a little 'stick' so it's like a pinwheel!

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  8. Fabulous idea - perfect package toppers or ornaments. Love it - thank you.

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  9. What a great idea. Thanks for the tutorial.

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  10. Love em!!! I must have some for my minimini wall in my sewing corner!!! Thank you Jayne....these are the sweetest!!!

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  11. These turn out pretty, and I love that they're good for homemade-in-a-pinch. I wonder if running a bead of FrayCheck along the edges would preclude fraying without looking yucky. I haven't used that stuff in years.

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  12. Hi,
    Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
    Have a great day!

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  13. So sweet and a great tutorial. I used to make paper pinwheels this way :)

    -Soma

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  14. Such a cute idea. Thanks for sharing! I will definitely be saving to make later.

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  15. That's perfect! Thanks for this idea!
    Greetings from Germany
    Rike

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  16. Hi Jayne,
    These are SO darn cute and easy to make. Now that looks like something I should make a bunch of . . . just for fun. I think I'll PIN for later reference. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  17. Very cute! And easy. A definite requirement this time of year.

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  18. So cute and quick to do, I'll have to give it a try soon, thank you!

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  19. Cute ornaments! My sister always visits for Christmas and we do a craft, I think that we will have to make some of these pinwheels, thanks for the tutorial!

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  20. A Few days ago, I saw someone added one of these ornaments onto a Christmas package at our holiday Christmas party, and I was all over it! I'm so glad I found your tutorial. Thank you for sharing!

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