These festive, easy-to-make fans are ideal for last-minute Fourth of July entertaining. You can cluster a group of them in a bowl to create a celebratory centerpiece or place one on each place setting as a colorful and cooling party favor. Although Martha uses 8-by-15-inch paper for her fans, you can adjust the dimensions to your desired size; simply use paper that's as wide as you'd like your fan to be and about twice as long.
Tools and Materials
Paper
Bone folder
Scissors
Stapler
Staples
Paper glue
Wooden sticks or bamboo skewers
Waxed twine (optional)
Fireworks Fan How-To
1. Accordion-fold the paper, starting on a short side. (It's up to you how wide to make the folds; Martha's are about 1 inch wide.) Make a 45-degree diagonal cut at each end, then staple the folded paper in the center. (The staple should be perpendicular to the folds.) Glue one side. Open the fan so that the edges of one side meet. Glue the edges together, and hold the edges in place with a binder clip. (You should now have a partially opened fan.)
2. To create handles, position wooden sticks or bamboo skewers to the remaining sides, placing them inside the last folds; make sure the points are facing inward. Glue them in place, and attach binder clips while the glue dries. To keep the fan open, tie the handles together with waxed twine.
Resources
We used a glue pen from Making Memories, and we found the striped paper at Jack and Lulu. The colorful waxed twine was from the Catalog for Living.
These are easy to make. I made about 15 for my sons 1st birthday on the the 4th of july. Thanks
I love this idea. Could be used in other colors for other parties. I think I will tie a bow around the sticks to hold the together (will glue sticks to each side of fan) and untie them so they will be easier to save and store.
Waxed dental floss would be another option for ties, if waxed twine was not readily available.
It's hard to see ....and the instructions aren't terribly clear that you glue a stick or handle to both sides of the fan on the open end after you have glued the top closed. That way you can open the fan up and hold the sticks together with twine and (although not as cute), a rubber band would work to hold the handles shut.
Joan
It's hard to see ....and the instructions aren't terribly clear that you glue a stick or handle to both sides of the fan on the open end after you have glued the top closed. That way you can open the fan up and hold the sticks together with twine and (although not as cute), a rubber band would work to hold the handles shut.
Joan
How cute! Martha, I like them, and I think the directions were very clear. If you just look at the picture given, it is very clear to me what the directions mean. Keep up the good work! Happy 4th!
The directions work--just be sure to accordian fold from the SHORT side.
You must have lead a deprived childhood! We made these when I was young...easy and fun to make. Fold the paper, staple one end of folded paper, clip the other end to make points, then open and glue both sides together. Try one and you will understand how to create your own fan.
PICTURES!!! Geez, Martha... there's a reason they say "a picture is worth 1000 words!"
No, it's not you.
No, it is not just you. I don't understand them either...I think I need at least one or two pics of how it is folded, stapled and glued :<
I thought it was clear - although I have to agree, that sometimes when the crafts are super easy (folding paper and glueing), they seem to forget that not EVERYONE is on the same crafting level. I actually made these around Easter time with pastel paper instead of the red, white, and blue...can I help make anything more clear for you???
These directions are not as clear as the craft directions ususally are. Is it just me?