8 min read
Age: Suitable for ages 8+
8 min read
Age: Suitable for ages 8+
This Sunflower Craft turns simple photo cardboard into a colourful pinwheel that really spins. Follow our easy steps with basic supplies and a free Sunflower Craft template – perfect for sunflower arts and crafts with kids.
Photo cardboard in yellow, brown, and green
Wooden stick
2 wooden beads in different sizes per sunflower
Acrylic paint or green felt-tip pen
Nails
Cork
Scissors
Pencil
Hammer
- Photo cardboard in yellow, brown, and green
- Wooden stick
- 2 wooden beads in different sizes per sunflower
- Cork
- Nails
- Acrylic paint or green felt-tip pen
- Pritt Multipurpose Glue
- Pritt Glue Stick
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Hammer
- Two small cups or glasses (approx. 6 cm and 4 cm diameter)
approx. 45 minutes (plus 3–5 hours drying time) per sunflower
Always supervise children when using sharp tools.
Lightly sketch eight asymmetrical petals (approx. 8 cm x 4 cm) onto yellow card for the front, movable ring of petals. You can draw them freehand or use our handy Sunflower Craft template to make your sunflower (you’ll find it at the end of this guide).
Carefully cut out the petals. Then fold each petal once lengthways, slightly off-centre (on the more curved side) to give it a gentle curve.
Now sketch eight symmetrical petals (each approx. 9 cm x 3.5 cm) for the rear ring of petals onto yellow card. You can also use our sunflower template for this. Carefully cut out these petals too.
Tip:
You can also make your sunflower from two paper plates! Paint them yellow or use ready-made yellow plates. Snip the rim into points to create individual petals. Then glue a brown paper circle in the centre. Add a wooden stick and beads to turn it into a pinwheel, just like the card version — a fun Sunflower Craft paper plate project.
Draw one large circle (6 cm diameter) and two small circles (4 cm diameter) onto brown card. Use small glasses or cups as templates. Cut everything out carefully.
Apply a little glue to one end of each asymmetrical petal and fix them slightly overlapping onto one of the small brown circles. A Pritt Glue Stick works best. Make sure the folded edges all face the same direction.
Now for the rear, larger ring of petals: Glue the symmetrical petals around the second small circle. They should also overlap slightly.
Paint a wooden stick completely green. Acrylic paint or a felt-tip pen works well. Let the stick dry thoroughly.
Push the painted stick into the flat end of a cork. This makes the stem for your sunflower.
Now for the pinwheel element. First thread the large wooden bead onto the nail.
Carefully pierce the centre of the small ring of petals with the nail. The bead goes on the side where the fold lines of the petals are. Aim for the centre, so your sunflower spins well later.
Slide the smaller wooden bead onto the nail. It sits on the back of the front flower and creates a little space to the rear ring of petals.
Finally, push the large ring of petals onto the nail, centred.
Gently hammer the nail into the long side of the cork. Don’t drive it in too far, so the petals can still spin freely.
Glue the large brown circle onto the front wooden bead. This hides the nail head and makes your sunflower look neat from every angle.
If you like, cut two leaves from green card and glue them to the stem beneath the flower. This makes your handmade sunflower look even more natural. Pritt Multipurpose Glue works especially well. Done!