DIY Fan by Hannah Gumbo
This DIY project is a fun way to re-use some material from your recycle bin while experimenting with painting colorful patterns! Let's jump in! You'll need:
thick cardstock ( I used a soda box from my recycling bin)
scissors
acrylic paint & brushes and/or paint pens (I used POSCA brand)
hole punch
metal paper fastener
Optional: string, bells, pom poms beads, beads to hang from fan
Cut out a tear drop shape from any thin cardboard that's in your recycling bin.
**Cereal boxes & soda can boxes work great.
The size of this shape can be adjusted to the size you prefer but my example is 9 inches long & 3.5 inches at its widest point.
Using your hole punch tool, create a hole roughly 1 inch towards the bottom of your shape.
**If you plan to add additional flair to your fan you can add another hole to attach your string & beads to later.
Using your cut shape as a guide, trace your shape over the remaining paper to create 5 more tear drop shapes. Stick your pen inside the hole punched area of your original shape as well so that each shape will be hole-punched in the same spot.
Now have fun with it---paint & add fun patterns to each shape, let dry.
Simple patterns such as stripes & dots are an easy place to start when creating patterns. I used acrylic paint and a brush to do a few solid layers before I used my paint pens to create details on top.
**Using thick paper (such as soda or cereal boxes) & adding additional thickness with paint will help your fan to keep its shape when you open it up. Also, if the ends of your shape start to flair up on the edges after you add paint, simply reshape the paper by placing a heavy book on top for a few hours once dry.
After your paint dries, stack all 6 shapes on top of one another (arrange them in the order you prefer them to fan out) & insert your metal paper fastener through the cut holes.
This step is optional-- If you like, attach strings at various lengths to your additional cut hole (before you add the metal paper fastener) & attach beads, pom poms, & beads to the end!
Enjoy your fabulous fan darlingggg!!
Yay for trash-crafting:)
Hannah Gumbo is an artist/illustrator working from her home studio in the Cajun prairies of rural Louisiana. In 2012, she recieved her BFA from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a concentration in painting & printmaking. Since then, her work has evolved to include a combination of analog and digital tools that come together to produce a fun & colorful voice that’s all her own. Most weeks, you can find her multi-tasking between work that includes: freelance assignments & commissions, items for her online shop, ‘passion projects’, & mixed media workshops with K-5th students in Louisiana’s TAP (Teaching Artists Program) program. She gathers inspiration from traveling, exploring locally, thrifting her heart out, & just about anywhere there’s a little sparkle.
