DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Origami Windmill

You can attach your windmill to a paper cup, pencil or gift tag with a pushpin or brass tack and it will really spin!

If you have trouble with the instructions, try reading through the basic origami instructions section.

Materials:

• square of paper - click here for instructions to make a rectangle of paper (typical 8.5x11 sheet) into a square
   
• NOTE:  origami paper typically comes with each side a different color -- this is perfect for this project!!  You can find double sided origami paper at your local craft store or Amazon.com -- it is inexpensive.

Instructions:

• Valley fold the paper from the left edge to the right edge, crease well and then unfold.

• Valley fold the paper from the bottom edge to the top edge, crease well and then unfold.

• Valley fold the paper from the bottom left corner to the top right corner, crease well and then unfold.

• Valley fold the paper from the bottom right corner to the top left corner, crease well and then unfold.

• Valley fold the left edge over to meet the center line.  Crease well.

• Valley fold the right edge over to meet the center line.  Crease well.

• Valley fold the bottom edge up to meet the center line.  Crease well.

• Reach under the top layer of paper of the part you just folded.  Do the left side first.  Use the prefolds as a guide and pull the paper outwards to make a triangle.  Crease well.

follow the yellow dot if you aren't sure how to do this step

• Repeat with the right side.  You will now have a canoe shape.

• Valley fold the top edge to the center.  Crease well.

• Reach under the top layer of paper of the part you just folded.  Do the left side first.  Use the prefolds as a guide and pull the paper outwards to make a triangle.  Crease well.

• Repeat with the right side.  You will now have a canoe shape on the top too.

• Valley fold the bottom left corner down.

• Valley fold the top right corner up.

• Attach to a paper cup or similar to make a windmill or to a pencil to make a pinwheel you can play with