With those hot Summer days approaching, a fan is always a helpful thing to have on hand to cool off! And today I'm going to show you how to make a pretty fan for your doll!
I actually got this craft idea from one of my favorite American Girl books, Samantha's Friendship Fun
In Samantha's Friendship Fun
These instructions I adapted to be doll-sized and they are pretty easy and lots of fun too! Let's get started!
First, you'll need some supplies!
- Wrapping Paper of any color or design
- Stapler
- Glue (I used hot glue, but regular glue works too!)
- Flat Wooden Craft Sticks (these are sized 5 3/4 x 1/4 x 1/32 inches)
- Scissors
- Ruler
Once you have everything you need, measure your wrapping paper with your ruler. It will need to be an inch and a half wide.
And, twenty inches long.
Cut out the strip of wrapping paper with your scissors.
Start folding one side back and forth. It's very important to alternate folding each side, not making the fan all in one strip.
Fold one side of the strip and then the other, until they reach the middle.
Keep folding each side...
Then you'll have a small strip that looks like an acordian. ;)
Staple the bottom of the strip, as close to the bottom as you can making sure you get all of the paper together.
Get out your craft sticks. These were a little long so I cut off about an two inches.
Put glue on one side of the strip and press the stick firmly into the glue. It should be directly below the staple.
If you use regular craft glue you will need to place a rubber band around the top of the sticks to hold them together to dry. You'll have to wait overnight for the glue to dry.
Now your fan should look like this!
Spread the sticks carefully to unfold the fan...
And ta-daa! Your doll has her very own fancy fan to keep her cool! Plus, it's a great stylish accessory. Place a rubber band at the bottom of the sticks to keep them together, and your doll will be able to hold the fan.
Nellie loves her fan! I hope you have fun making one for your doll too! If you do, I'd love to see! Feel free to send me a picture at [email protected]
Happy Crafting! :)
