Introduction: Sheet Music Pinwheel

By Jessie Marie Design
About: Although I love all art in general, some of my favorites include photography, constructing practical stuff out of duct tape, and sewing up a storm. Before buying something I think twice about it, then usually …
What can you do with sheet music? Well, the truth is, what CAN'T you do with sheet music? Rather than just throwing away or shoving unused sheet music into a drawer when you are done with it, you can reuse it by making great decorations, such as sheet music pinwheels. This is a fairly easy and inexpensive decoration to make for your house that will only take minutes to create! Just follow the simple instructions below, and you will have this gorgeous decoration in no time!

Materials:
  • 8 Sheets of Music, each measuring 8 1/2 by 11
  • tape
  • hot glue gun
  • scissors
  • thin piece of cardboard--I unfolded a Kleenex box and used it (Everyone has a Kleenex box, right?)
  • ruler

 


Step 1: Sheet Music

If you don't have any sheet music, don't sweat it! Just do what I usually do: print off sheet music from online! If you want to use the sheet music I used in the pinwheel shown, go to: http://www.all-music-sheets.com/images/BachChurchCantataBWV10.jpg

What you do is:
  1. Google search "sheet music"
  2. Right click and copy the one you like
  3. Open a word document and paste it in
  4. Enlarge the sheet music (you may have to right click and "wrap text" so you can enlarge it to full size)
  5. Print 8 copies

Step 2: Accordian Fold

Take a sheet of music, making sure it is vertically lain, and start accordian folding it. Each fold should be about 1 inch thick. Keep going until you reach the bottom of the sheet. Fold all 8 music sheets like this, then move onto the next step.

Step 3: Curved Edges

To make the pinwheel have more flare, cut a curved edge on one side of all the sheets. Do this by holding onto the folded up paper and cutting. It is important to only curve ONE side of each sheet.

Step 4: Taping the Sides Together

Now you need to tape all of the folded up, curved sheets together. Take two folded sheets, and put together the ends. Then, stick one small piece of tape on each side, and fold it over onto the back. Do this until you have one long, continuous strip of folded up, connected papers.

Step 5: The Gluing

Get your hot glue gun ready to go! This part takes patience, since you have to hold the pinwheel in sections for a few minutes until the glue dries. If you let go, the sheet music may spring back at you! So, start off little; take about a third of it and push it together, gluing the center at the same time. Hold for a few minutes until it is dry. Just start adding more, little by little, and gluing at the same time. Once you are adding the last section, take extra procautions by adding more dabs of hot glue in between the pleats. Once it is dry, move on to the next step, but don't unplug your glue gun yet!

Step 6: Tape the Final Ends

Tape the two last ends together. Also, put an extra dab of glue in the center, just to be safe!

Step 7: Add Backing

Flip the pinwheel over. Cut off the extra parts of the Kleenex box until two squares, attached, remain. Fold it over and tape the end. Hot glue the backing and flip it over, placing it in the center on the back of the pinwheel. Hold it until the glue is dry, and add some more glue around the sides. This backing will make the sheet music pinwheel sturdier. Flip the pinwheel back over to the front.

Step 8: You Are Done!

You are done with your Sheet Music Pinwheel! Hang it up in your room or give it to a friend! Your Sheet Music Pinwheel will catch everyone's eyes as they walk past it.