Book Paper Ornaments: Bows & Pinwheels

I've been inspired by all the book paper ornaments on Pinterest, so I decided to take a crack at some my own.

The easiest is this cute little bow:

But my favorite so far are these "pinwheel" designs:

 (Not an actual pinwheel, I know. Sorry.)

 I also made a simple paper tube tree topper:

And I'm currently working on this snowflake design:

I also have a super fun and funky paper garland in the works - not the ruffle one you've probably seen already, but a new design I've been fiddling with.


Ok. So. Tutorials. Keep scrolling for how-to's on the bows and pinwheels!


Once you have a template for the bows they're super quick to make.

To make that template, cut a strip of paper a little taller than you want your finished bow to be, then overlap the ends to make a tube:

Squash it flat:

 ...and cut a center dip into either end, like so:

 Try to keep the sides even, but don't worry if they're not perfect; we'll fix that in a sec.

With both sides done, you should have a flattened little bow:

Now peel off the tape and smooth out your template. You'll find it looks a lot like a pair of goggles:

Fold the goggles at the nose piece to check your symmetry; make any necessary trimmings. 

Once everything is even, use your new template to trace as many bows as you like!

All taped together:

 Finish your bows off with small strips of paper for the center knot, taped in the back. (I find a blank strip from the margins contrasts nicely for the center, but that's your call.) You could also cut little tails!

 

These would be cute on their own, or you can add them to smaller ornaments like I did (the bronze bells are $3 for a pack of 5 at Target), or put them on wreaths, garlands, gifts, etc.

Next, my sparkly favorites:

These take a little patience, but they pack a big punch design-wise. Plus there are SO many fun things you can glue in the center!

To begin, rip out your book pages and trim off the rough inner edge.

Now's the time to add a gold paint stripe, if you like. (It adds sparkle.) I used liquid leaf with a Q-tip because I wanted a rough line (to look more handmade), but you could also use a brush or gold paint pen.

Accordion fold your page, and then fold it up so the outer edges meet:

Use a small piece of clear tape to connect the two edges - but don't overlap them. Instead, tape the two together in a V shape, so the tape bridges the gap. (Hope that makes sense!)

Now you'll have a half-circle fan. If you like, you can make a much fuller ornament by taping two of these fans together, like so:

For my design, though, you'll need to carefully pull the opposite ends together and tape them the same way you did the top:


This is tricky, because that's a tight stretch on your paper - it's going to want to rip at your crease points. Just take your time and kind of massage the paper into shape. (It also helps to tape your edges just below the outer edge, as you can see I did.)

Once your pinwheel is taped, the real fun begins: DECORATING.

I cut circles from two kinds of cardstock (one glittery, one textured like silk) and topped those with Alphabet stickers and wooden button embellishments from the scrapbooking aisle. A little glob of E-6000 keeps it all in place nicely.

Oh, and to hang them I used my Crop-A-Dile to add small metal eyelets at the top edge. It helps reinforce the seam and gives it a more polished look:

I had to add an additional ring so the fancy hooks would hang right, but I think the finished product is worth the effort. Plus these are fairly large on my little 6 foot tree, so I only needed 8 or 10 total. (I originally planned to hang a small gold tassel off the bottom edge, but that'd be way too big for my tree!

The pinwheels are surprisingly sturdy, btw, so don't let the fact that they're paper scare you off. I've knocked them around quite a bit, and it takes actual effort to rip or dent them.

K, guys, that's all for now! I'll leave you with a quick daytime snapshot of my back tree:

 I don't think there's any room left for my paper garland! Huh. Guess we're gonna need a bigger tree. 

;)

So how'd your weekend's crafty exploits go, guys? Please share pics over on the Epbot FB page; nothing cheers my geeky little heart more than seeing other people's holiday crafts & decorations!

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