These colorful paper twirlers are easy to make and mesmerizing to watch! Here is a tutorial for making and decorating your own beautiful paper twirlers using the watercolor resist painting technique.
You’ve probably made spiral paper twirlers before, either as a kid or with your own kids.
I have done both, but it’s such an easy and satisfying activity with mesmerizing results that it’s worth doing again. Or at least I thought so.
We combined the simple paper cut activity with the super-saturated color of a crayon and watercolor resist art. Oh, and we did this on a big scale, but you can do this small scale if you like, either with cheap paper plates or smaller circles of posterboard.
Here’s how…
How to Make Colorful Paper Twirlers with Kids
This watercolor resist painting technique makes easy paper twirlers extra fun and extra beautiful!
MATERIALS
- White poster board*
- Crayons (we used these crayon sticks)
- Watercolor paint
- Scissors
- Brush
- Hole punch
- Yarn or string
*I cut a couple of circles each out of large pieces of white poster board, but you could do this on a smaller scale if you like with paper plates, watercolor paper, or card stock.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1: Cut your circles out of your poster board.
You can trace a large mixing bowl for a perfect circle or just wing it. Winging it is my middle name, so that’s what I did.
Step 2: Draw your spiral…
…starting from one point on the perimeter of the circle (but don’t cut it yet).
Make the spiral relatively thick. We had two with an endless thin spiral and they didn’t hold their magic twirly powers quite as well and dragged all the way to the floor besides (although that was easily remedied by trimming off the bottom).
Step 3: Now decorate your spiral with crayon drawings.
Any designs. Lots of color. You could stick to seasonal colors if you like or decorate the spiral like a snake, but we just went for lots of color and design.
Step 4: Paint with Watercolors
Paint over the crayon drawings with watercolor paint. Let dry.
Turn the circle over and paint the reverse, too, as you’ll see both sides as it spirals through the air. Let dry.
Step 5. Cut along the spiral line.
Step 6. Punch a hole in the center and tie a string there for hanging.
Daphne and I each made two, so we had four to hang!
Step 7. Hang your new color paper twirlers!
You can hang these in a window or near a fan or on the porch or anywhere you’d like!
Admire and watch the paper spirals twirl in the wind or by your puffs of breath. It’s mesmerizing to watch!
How about you? Have you made paper twirlers before?
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