Have you seen these hanging fan decorations at parties?? I have seen them before, usually made of tissue paper. You can buy them from the party store and they are relatively inexpensive. But, if you are like me, and you crave crafty projects from time to time, you might want to consider making your own for your next party decor.
I love to add personalized touches to my parties, and this is another opportunity to do so. Use a coordinating paper or cardstock and add some fan flare to your party atmosphere!
They are very easy to make and just require a couple pieces of paper, some ribbon and a hole punch to make. I'm sure there are multiple ways to make them, but here's what I did in 8 simple steps!
1. Place 2 pieces of cardstock of scrapbooking paper side-by-side, taping them together on the back side. If you want your fan to be pretty on both sides, try to find a paper that has a print or color on both sides. The size of your paper will determine the size of your fan. I used 12"x12" paper for the larger fans and 6"x12" paper for the smaller ones (one 12"x12" cut in half).
2. Accordion fold your paper, starting from the shorter side of your paper rectangle. Tie a ribbon around the center of this folded paper. At this point, you can trim a rounded edge on each end of your accordion folded paper to make a scalloped edge in your fan. I skipped that step for my silver hanging fan.
When you trim the edges, round them out as much as you can. You'll need sharp, strong scissors to do this, especially if you are cutting through cardstock.
This is what it should look like once you fan it out and open it up.
3. At this point, fold your accordion folded paper in half one way, creating a center fold and then in half the opposite direction. This will make it easier to perform the next few steps.
Your fan should look about like this.
4. Bring two of the sides together until they meet.
5. Tape these two sides together along the entire length of the paper. You can also use a glue stick- it just may require holding the sides together for a minute as it sets.
6. Repeat this on the opposite side until you have a continuous circle. Now, trim off your ribbon, leaving a center knot. If you are really a stickler for details like me and you are using a paper that is decorative only on one side, make sure your knot is on the back of the hanging fan.
7. Using a hole punch, make a hole in the top of your hanging fan on the fold line. I used a thin, rectangular punch to make it more discreet, but any kind will do.
8. Thread your ribbon through the hole and hang wherever your little heart desires! Keep in mind that if you hang it up against a wall, it will stay where you put it. This is where the one-sided paper is appropriate. But, if you suspend it away from a wall, it will twist and turn as people walk by, so you might want to consider using the double sided paper for this.
Perfect!
