Materials Needed:
Popsicle Sticks
Paper Fasteners
Drill
Paper
Pen
Scissors
Watercolors
Crayons
Scotch tape and Blue Tape
Steps:
1. Take 5 or so Popsicle sticks and tape them together. Then, drill a hole on one end through all the Popsicle sticks. Make sure the hole is big enough for the fastener to go through.
2. Push a fastener through all the Popsicle Sticks to attach them together. Then, remove your tape and trim the back of the fastener.
3. Spread your sticks out like the ribs of a fan so that they are evenly space from one another.
4. Then, trace out a fan shape around the sticks. Keep your sticks spread out and remove them from the picture. Draw in the bottom arc of the fan. (I found that drawing a higher arc helped the fan to properly open and close.)
5. Cut out your fan shape and then paint with watercolors or color in with crayons.
6. Once your paint dries, tape the spread out Popsicle sticks to the back of your fan. Trim off any excess paper.
7. Now it's time to do the inaugural folding of the fan. Very carefully begin folding your paper fan. Your fold placement will be permanent. It will also depend on the shape of your fan's bottom arc and the spacing between your sticks. (As you can see, mine would not fold completely closed.)
8. Open your fan! (And then close... and then open... and then close.. you get the drift....)
And that's it! You're done!
Isn't it cool? Now you've got yourself a fun kid-made craft that's modeled on some traditional crafting practices.
