How to Make a Fidget Spinner DIY! Today, we’re going to transform simple paper into a super fun, spinning toy. Imagine a perfectly balanced, three-armed wonder that whirls with a flick of your finger! This easy origami project is perfect for complete beginners, especially kids who love hands-on crafts. You can have your very own fidget spinner ready to go in about 15-20 minutes, making it a fantastic quick activity or a unique handmade gift for friends.

In this tutorial, I’ll guide you step-by-step through folding this cool creation. We’ll learn how to create precise folds to achieve that satisfying spin. Get ready to impress yourself and everyone around you with your paper-folding prowess!

How to Make a Fidget Spinner DIY – Red Ted Art – Kids Crafts

Hello creative friends! Today, we’re going to dive into the wonderful world of origami and make something super fun and satisfying: a fidget spinner! This is a fantastic project for kids and adults alike, a chance to get your hands busy and your mind focused. And the best part? You only need paper! It’s a great way to repurpose old craft paper or use up those lovely patterned sheets you’ve been saving. We’ll go through every step together, nice and slow, so you can create a beautiful, spinning origami masterpiece.

Choosing Your Paper: The Foundation of Fun

The paper you choose is really important for a successful origami fidget spinner. It’s not just about pretty colours; the weight and size of the paper will affect how well your spinner spins and how sturdy it is.

Type of Paper

For this fidget spinner, I highly recommend using standard origami paper. This paper is specifically designed for folding, meaning it’s thin enough to make crisp creases but strong enough to hold its shape. It’s also usually coloured on one side and white on the other, which can add a lovely visual effect to your spinner.

If you don’t have origami paper, you can use plain printer paper. However, printer paper is a bit thicker, so you might find it harder to get really sharp folds. If you use printer paper, try to cut it into a perfect square first. You can do this by folding one corner down to meet the opposite edge and cutting off the excess rectangle. Another option is to use thin cardstock, but be warned, this will make the spinner quite stiff and it might not spin as freely. It’s best to start with origami paper or printer paper.

Weight and Size

Origami paper typically comes in weights around 70-80 gsm (grams per square meter). This is ideal because it’s thin enough for many layers of folds without becoming bulky. If you’re using printer paper, it’s usually around 80-90 gsm, which is also fine.

The standard size for origami paper is 15×15 cm (6×6 inches). This size is perfect for a beginner fidget spinner. If you want a larger spinner, you can use bigger squares, like 20×20 cm (8×8 inches) or even 25×25 cm (10×10 inches). Just remember that larger paper will require more precise folding to maintain the spinner’s shape.

Single or Double-Sided Paper?

This is where you can get creative! If you use single-sided origami paper (coloured on one side, white on the other), the white parts of the paper will be visible on the finished spinner, creating a nice contrast. This is how I usually make mine, and I love the classic look.

However, if you have double-sided patterned paper, that will look amazing too! Imagine a spinner with a different pattern on each of the three arms – how cool is that? Just make sure the paper isn’t too thick, as that can make folding difficult.

The Base Folds: Building a Solid Foundation

Before we start making our fidget spinner, there are a couple of fundamental origami folds that we need to master. Getting these right will make the rest of the process much smoother.

The Valley Fold

A valley fold is when you fold a piece of paper towards you, creating a crease that looks like a ‘V’ shape or a valley. To make a clean valley fold:

1. Lay your paper flat on a clean surface, coloured side down if you are using single-sided paper.
2. Bring one edge of the paper to meet another edge. For example, bring the bottom edge up to meet the top edge.
3. As you bring the edges together, run your finger or fingernail along the crease line to make it sharp. Aim to get the edges perfectly aligned before creasing.
4. Once the crease is sharp, unfold the paper. You should have a nice, straight line.

The Mountain Fold

A mountain fold is the opposite of a valley fold; you fold the paper away from you, creating a crease that looks like an upside-down ‘V’ or a mountain peak. To make a clean mountain fold:

1. Lay your paper flat.
2. You’ll often make a mountain fold after you’ve already made a valley fold in the same place. If you’ve just made a valley fold and unfolded, your paper will have a crease running through it.
3. To make it a mountain fold, you need to push the crease outwards, away from you. Imagine you are making a little hill with the paper along that crease line.
4. Align the paper so the valley fold you just made is now facing upwards, like a ridge.
5. Press down firmly along the crease to make it sharp.

The key to clean folds is precision. Take your time, align edges and corners perfectly, and use your fingernail or a bone folder to really press down each crease. This might seem like extra effort, but it makes a huge difference to the final look and function of your origami model.

Folding Your Origami Fidget Spinner: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that we’ve got our paper and our basic folds down, let’s get folding! We’re going to make a three-armed fidget spinner. Remember to be patient with yourself. If you don’t get it perfect the first time, that’s absolutely fine. Unfold and try again!

Start with your square of paper. If you are using single-sided paper, place it coloured side down. This means the white side is facing you.

1. First Fold: Horizontal Crease. Bring the bottom edge of the paper up to meet the top edge. Make a nice, sharp valley fold. Then, unfold the paper. You should now have a horizontal crease right across the middle.
2. Second Fold: Vertical Crease. Turn your paper so it’s in a diamond shape, with the crease you just made running horizontally. Now, bring the left edge of the paper over to meet the right edge. Make a sharp valley fold. Unfold the paper. You should now have a vertical crease running down the middle, crossing your horizontal crease.
3. Third Fold: Diagonal Crease (Top Left to Bottom Right). Keep your paper as a diamond. Bring the top corner down to meet the bottom corner. Make a sharp valley fold. Unfold the paper. You now have a diagonal crease going from the top left to the bottom right.
4. Fourth Fold: Diagonal Crease (Top Right to Bottom Left). Now, bring the top right corner over to meet the bottom left corner. Make a sharp valley fold. Unfold the paper. You should now have four creases crossing in the centre, dividing your square into eight equal triangles.
5. Fifth Fold: Bring Corners to Centre. Turn your paper back so it’s a square, with the coloured side facing up. You should see all the creases. Now, take the bottom corner and bring it up to meet the very centre point where all the creases intersect. Make a sharp valley fold.
6. Sixth Fold: Repeat for Other Corners. Repeat the previous step for the top corner, bringing it down to the centre. Then, repeat for the left corner, bringing it to the centre. Finally, repeat for the right corner, bringing it to the centre. Your paper should now look like a smaller square, with four smaller triangles pointing towards the centre.
7. Seventh Fold: Fold in Half Vertically. Turn your paper over so the coloured side is facing up again. You should see the four flaps you just folded. Now, bring the left edge of this new, smaller square over to meet the right edge. Make a sharp valley fold. You’re essentially folding the entire thing in half.
8. Eighth Fold: Fold in Half Horizontally. Now, take the bottom edge of this folded paper and bring it up to meet the top edge. Make a sharp valley fold. You’ve now folded the paper in half in both directions.
9. Ninth Fold: Prepare to Open and Form Arms. This is a slightly trickier step, but we’ll go slow! You have a small, folded square. You need to open it up a little. Imagine the centre of the square where all the folds meet. Gently pull apart the layers. You’re going to use those diagonal creases you made earlier.
10. Tenth Fold: Form the First Arm. You’ll see that the paper wants to naturally open up along those diagonal creases. You need to pull the left flap outwards and upwards, flattening it down so that the original diagonal crease becomes a mountain fold on the outside. The edge of this flap should align with the centre line of the overall shape. You are essentially reversing one of your diagonal folds to create an arm of the spinner.
11. Eleventh Fold: Form the Second Arm. Now, take the flap on the right side. Pull it outwards and upwards, flattening it down. Again, the diagonal crease you made earlier should now be a mountain fold on the outside. Align this edge with the centre line.
12. Twelfth Fold: Form the Third Arm. Finally, take the top flap. Pull it outwards and upwards, flattening it down. The diagonal crease should be a mountain fold on the outside, and this edge should align with the centre line.

You should now have a shape with three pointed arms radiating outwards. In the centre, you’ll have a small square where all the layers meet. You can gently tuck the corners of these arms into the pocket formed by the centre square to secure them, or simply let them rest there if they are holding well. Give it a gentle spin!

Common Beginner Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Don’t worry if your first few attempts aren’t perfect! Origami takes practice. Here are a couple of places beginners often stumble:

• Messy Creases: This is probably the most common issue. If your creases aren’t sharp and precise, the paper won’t hold its shape well, and the spinner might look a bit wobbly or not spin as smoothly. How to avoid it: Take your time with each fold. Align edges and corners exactly before you crease. Use the side of your fingernail or a bone folder to press down firmly on every single crease. If a crease isn’t sharp, gently unfold and re-crease it.
• Misaligned Folds: When bringing corners to the centre or edges to meet edges, if they aren’t perfectly aligned, the final shape will be asymmetrical. This can prevent the spinner from balancing and spinning evenly. How to avoid it: Before you make a crease, double-check that the points or edges you are bringing together are perfectly aligned. It’s better to spend an extra second ensuring accuracy than to have a wonky spinner.
• Forcing Folds on Thick Paper: If you’re using thicker paper, like cardstock, you might find it hard to make sharp folds, or you might even tear the paper. How to avoid it: For this project, stick to thinner papers like origami paper or standard printer paper. If you do use slightly thicker paper, be extra gentle and use a tool like a bone folder to help press the creases firmly without tearing.

Varying Your Fidget Spinner: Personalize Your Creation!

Once you’ve mastered the basic fidget spinner, you can start to get creative! Here are some ideas to make yours unique:

• Size Variation: As mentioned earlier, simply use larger squares of paper for a bigger spinner, or smaller squares for a mini version. You can even try making multiple spinners of different sizes and stacking them for a more complex fidget toy.
• Paper Pattern and Colour: This is where the fun really begins! Use patterned origami paper, old wrapping paper, magazine pages, or even pages from a colouring book (if they are thin enough). Try using two different colours of paper, cut into squares and layered together before you start folding, for a two-toned effect. You could even use metallic paper for a really eye-catching spinner.
• Adding Details: Once your spinner is folded, you could add some small stickers to the centre or the arms for extra decoration.

Displaying or Gifting Your Origami Fidget Spinner

Finished origami models make wonderful gifts and decorations! Your handmade fidget spinner is no exception.

• Gifting Ideas: A fidget spinner is a perfect little gift for a friend, classmate, or family member who enjoys crafts or needs a little something to fiddle with. You can present it in a small jewellery box, tie it with a ribbon, or even attach it to a birthday card. It’s a thoughtful, handmade present that shows you care.
• Display Ideas: You can create a collection of your origami fidget spinners in different colours and patterns. Display them on a shelf, in a clear jar, or even hang them from the ceiling using thin thread to create a kinetic mobile. They add a splash of colour and handmade charm to any room.

I hope you’ve enjoyed making your origami fidget spinner! It’s a simple yet satisfying project that’s perfect for all ages. Keep practising, keep experimenting with different papers and colours, and most importantly, have fun!

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing your DIY origami fidget spinner! We hope you had a blast folding and creating this fun toy. Don’t worry if your first attempt isn’t perfect; every origami creation is a chance to practice and improve. We encourage you to try it again and see how your skills develop!

Once you’ve mastered this design, why not try a two-color fidget spinner by using different paper for each layer, or perhaps a larger version with bigger paper? Sharing your finished origami fidget spinner with friends or family is a wonderful way to spread the joy. And if you’re looking for more exciting paper adventures, be sure to explore our other paper projects for endless creative possibilities!