Jayne published instructions on how to make fabric pinwheels on her blog. This was just in time for me, since I needed decorations for my Christmas packages. Check out her tutorial here.
Naturally, I made a few changes to her instructions 🙂 Jayne’s pinwheels were small, but I needed to decorate a big package. So I used some of my 5″ squares. (Remember the Nickel Quilt craze? That’s how old these squares are; I was in a swap group.) If you want to use your own 5 inch squares to make bigger pinwheels, follow Jayne’s instructions but trim them to about 4-3/4 inches after fusing the two fabrics together. Then make your corner cuts (see her instructions) 1-1/4 inches. I just marked the center while marking for the corner cuts, so I didn’t need her measurement for the center dot.
Also, Jayne used Steam-A-Seam, which is a good product, but I had Heat-n-Bond, and that worked just fine. I did try gluing the center together rather than sewing it, but I wasn’t patient enough to hold it until it dried.
Finally, Jayne noted that “there will be fraying” since the edges are unfinished. I think that is unlikely with Heat-n-Bond; I’ve never had trouble with it. But just in case, I trimmed my edges with pinking shears rather than my rotary cutter. Remember pinking shears? Those were what we used to “clean finish” the inside seams on our garments back before everybody had a fancy machine with overlock stitch. They still work just fine if you saved yours!
Happy holidays!
Zippy Quilts 
What a cute idea for package ‘bows’. Thanks for sharing, and yes, I still have my pinking shears and still use them. Sometimes the old tools come in handy and I never throw anything away. 🙂
I consider pinking shears an under appreciated tool. Though whether I’d buy a pair at current prices I’m not sure 🤔
Me too.
What an adorable idea! These are really cute.
Thanks, Carol!
What a cute gift decoration idea! Thanks for posting the tutorial and your tips. I have two pair of heavy pinking shears that never worked. My friend bought a pair at a vintage shop and they work perfectly. They were sturdy, but streamline and light. The ones I see at the stores look just as bulking as the ones I have What type to you have?
Mine probably are 50 years old. You might try having yours sharpened. If I buy scissors now, I buy from Havels. A friend introduced me to their scissors and I have been very pleased with them.
Thanks. I’ll check these out.
These are sweet! I can imagine them embellishing all kinds of wall-hangings, in any color. Lucky person who gets your present. 🙂
Very cute!
Thanks 🙂
oooo, a great idea to experiment with! Thanks, zippy!
It was easy, which I say is good 😃
easy is definitely good!
😉
How fun seeing these pinwheels and your changes! I do love the idea of pinking sheers (I too have some) for the edges. I tried using a hot glue gun for the centers and it was tricky with the small ones. Maybe I’d have better luck on a larger version! Thank you for sharing my pinwheel tutorial!
Thanks for the ideas! Happy holidays! 😀
Happy holidays to you and Harry, too!