Easy, Pretty Paper Fan Tutorial

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Sailboats need wind to sail.  (Duh.)

Even little toy ones for a Rain Gutter Regatta birthday party.  

My solution, so the kids wouldn't have to huff and puff and pass out in the heat?  Fast and easy paper fans.


I could have gone really old-school and just accordion folded some paper, but I thought it would be fun to find a quote about wind or sailing for the fans.  A little bit of decoration, a little bit of inspiration.  I printed out my quote on cardstock, and trimmed into a fannish shape (technical term).  I glued a dowel to the back of the cardstock, and glued on some rope trim with my glue gun.  


That probably would have worked just fine, but it felt a little flimsy, so I decided to glue on a second layer of cardstock, sandwiching the dowel between the two sheets of paper.  That added substantial sturdiness, and I liked the contrast of the colored border.  


It worked perfectly for our purpose, and, since it was a hot day, the kids enjoyed having fans around to help keep things cool.

I think this would be a fabulous way to make wedding programs for an outdoor service with a potential for hot weather.  I've been to many weddings where the programs were used as impromptu fans, anyway!  Why not make them truly appropriate for the purpose.

Nicole Wills, creator of Tikkido

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