Recycled Fans
A Fan for Every Occasion
The summer heat is here, and on those days without trade winds we all miss the breeze. Keep cool with this quick and easy craft that’s sure to make your fan-tastic read-aloud experience complete. Pair it with The Magic Fan by Kevin Baker, match it with a book of poetry about nature, or pick a nonfiction picture book about the changes in weather. There are many ways to enhance your read aloud and have fun.
What you’ll need:
- Colorful paint sample cards (from your local hardware store)
- Hole punch
- Paper fastener
- Yarn or string
- Two buttons or beads
Directions:
- Pick up 8-10 colorful paint sample cards from your local hardware store. Be sure that they are all the same size.
- Punch a hole in the center of the bottom and top of each card. (Try to keep the locations as identical as possible.)
- Stack the cards on top of each other. At the bottom end, join the cards by sticking a paper fastener through the hole of all cards and fasten.
- At the top end, lace the yarn (still not cut to a specific length) through all the holes.
- Spread the cards to make a fan, making sure to keep the yarn through all holes. When you decide on the right “spread” for the fan, cut the yarn with enough extra on each side to tie a knot.
- String a bead or button large enough to block the punched hole at the beginning and end of the yarn to keep your fan at the size you want. Tie the yarn off.
Tip: To keep your fan flaps/paint cards from moving, cut the yarn about twice as long and separately hook the yarn in between each card around the top corner of each paint card (the corner you can’t see from the front). It may take some maneuvering, but your final result is fan-fabulous. Just don’t forget to unhook the yarn on the corners when you close your creation.
Now fan away!