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Fourth of July Cupcake Toppers

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pinwheel-cupcake-toppers

Here are some quick and easy printable pinwheel cupcake toppers to celebrate the Fourth of July.  They really spin!  These are made with straight pins, but if you are having a party with small children I’d advise you to glue them down or use small paper clips (similar to these).  The design is 3″ x 3″, so perfect for cupcake toppers or for party favors.

Supplies:

  • white card stock
  • small straight pins with glass heads
  • hammer
  • lollipop sticks
  • glue (optional)

Click on images below for templates:

blue-gridred-dots

1.  Using card stock, print the blue grid on one side then flip the page over and print the red dots.

2.  Cut a small slit at a 45 degree angle at each corner like this:

pinwheel-template
3.  Carefully poke a hole in the top of the lollipop stick with a straight pin.

4.  Fold down every other corner of your pinwheel and hold it in place in the center.

5.  Poke a straight pin through the center, being sure to catch all the corners.

6.  Gently tap with the hammer until it is secure, but the pin isn’t going all the way through the lollipop stick.

7.  Glue in place, if you’d like.

If you make these, we’d love to see your photos in the Make it Monday Flickr group here.

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More Cereal Box Journals

cereal-box-journal-fabric

So I loved the plain journals, but thought that a more decorative journal might make a nice gift. I made one with fabric and one with paper.  The fabric covered version (pictured above) will be a gift for my mother-in-law with some photos of the children.  I used three sheets of card stock rather than paper, which will hold six photos.  I also lined the inside with green paper.  I first cut the cereal box down to size, then cut the fabric about 1/2 larger.  I sprayed the adhesive on the cardboard and pressed down the fabric.  Then I trimmed the excess with a rotary cutter and made the rounded corners with scissors.  I added some Fray Check to the edges to keep it from unraveling, which seems to be working.  I have never used this before, and it’s likely toxic.  My older daughter said to the younger one “Look, ear drops for you.”  Glad I was in the room.

cereal-box-journal-paper

The second journal is covered with paper from a Marimekko catalog and I affixed it with spray adhesive also.  The color on the glossy paper stretched some when it was creased, so I added a grosgrain ribbon binding, which I wrapped around the inside.  I sewed down each side, then added the paper and sewed in the center.  It was a little tricky to get it straight, but I taped it in place.  The inside is lined with orange paper.

And, to solve the issue of having the papers not aligned when you fold the book:  Stagger the papers, as shown below.  Then cut the other end straight across with a paper cutter.  Then arrange arrange them so that they are evenly fanned out on either side, with the slightly shorter papers on the inside on the book and the longer ones by the cover.  Does that make sense?  You still need to cut all your papers a bit shorter than the cover because cardboard is thicker than paper, so takes up more space in the bend.

paper-staggered

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Cereal Box Journal

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cereal-box-journal

Here’s a quick and easy way to re-use a cereal box and make a useful journal from it. Ever use the Moleskine notebooks? I love them, so thought I’d make some of my own with materials that I had around the house.  There are lots of possibilities for this project. You could stamp or print the cover, paint it, add a collage or a simple drawing, or use decorative paper to cover the inside. This would also make a fun project for the kids – they could decorate the covers and write a story.

cereal-box-journal-2

I made this on my sewing machine, but I can’t be held responsible for broken needles! I set the tension to a very low setting and made the stitch long. I used 8 pieces of paper (for a 16-page journal) and wouldn’t recommend many more than that.

Supplies:

  • cereal box
  • paper (recycled or handmade would be even better)
  • thread
  • rounded corner punch
  • paper cutter
  • painter’s tape

cereal-box-journal-steps1

Step 1: Cut cardboard box down to desired size. I made mine 10”x7” (for a 5”x7” journal).

Step 2: Cut journal paper down to size as well. You might want to deduct 1/8” to make sure the paper folds nicely into the inside of the journal.  (see this next post for more instructions about this).

Step 3: Round corners with the corner punch.

Step 4: Score cereal box cover down the center until it folds crisply. I used a utensil knife and ruler to do this.

Step 5: Place cardboard (plain side up) on top of paper and tape together with painter’s tape.

Step 6: With sewing machine tension set to low, slowly stitch long stitches along the scored line.

Step 7: Fold over and place under a heavy book  to press flat.

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Quick Doily Garland

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doily-garland-1

I found some extra doilies and made this quick, last-minute garland for a wedding shower.  These would also be great for a badminton tournament!  Ha.

Just fold in half until they are a small triangle shape, unfold, string with a needle and thread and hang.  That’s it.

doily-garland-2