Pinwheels and summer just go together, don't you think?  Today I'm sharing not one, but TWO adorable summertime projects featuring the "Color Vibe Collection" First, let's start with a patriotic set that I'll be displaying from Memorial Day all the way through July 4th!

I ran across this pattern for making pinwheels and thought I'd give it a try.  The pinwheels that I created are approximately 7" in diameter, so adjust the triangle sizes accordingly for larger or smaller versions.

Each pinwheel requires four squares of various colors/patterns.  I cut my squares to 4" and then cut across diagonally to form the triangles. Next, I punched a 1.5" circle to use as an anchor point for building the pinwheel.

Working counter-clockwise, add the triangles as shown above. Alternate the colors as you go! The very last triangle will tuck up under the first one, so be sure that you don't glue it down completely.  

Next, take the left tip of any triangle and glue to the center; repeat with the remaining tips until the pinwheel is complete. You can add these to dowels, straws, or a large clothespin for clipping!

And how about a couple of fireworks to go along with the pinwheels? I made two of the fireworks from a paper towel roll that I cut in half. I covered each of the rolls in patterned paper and then constructed the top:

To make the top, I die cut a 3.5" circle from lightweight chipboard, as well as a circle of patterned paper to match.  I cut a notch as shown above and then gently rolled into a cone shape and glued in place on the tube.

For the streamers at the bottom of the fireworks, I used the leftover 6X12 .  paper (from making the pinwheel) and cut 1/2" strips along the length.  I cut a small piece from each color strip and began winding the colored strips together to form a tassel.  I curled the ends slightly and then hot glued inside the open end of the paper towel roll.  

Again, I attached a large clothespin for clipping! Here is a look at all of the finished pieces after they were clipped on the little tree that I use for seasonal decorations!

As you can see, I used the Foam Alphas and stickers from the sticker books to embellish.  I also used die-cuts of matching papers to create flowers at the centers of the pinwheels. 

While making the patriotic pinwheels, I decided to make a few in the hues of summer!  I mixed and matched colors from the Brights, Lights, Bolds and Basics...they all coordinate beautifully!  

For this set of pinwheels, I decided to make a 'faux' letterboard from strips of dark gray paper.  Here's how it looked:

I simply created paper strips the width of a frame and added a fold to each side.  The sides were glued together and then attached inside the frame.  I wanted the strips to be the same width as the height of the Foam Alphas, so I made them approximately 1.25".  The stickers were attached to create the letterboard look!

So whether you're needing pinwheels for summer parties or holiday decor, I hope that you'll give them a try.  Stay tuned to my YouTube channel, as I will be sharing a tutorial on putting these together. 

Thanks for joining!

Shellye