The Craft of Making Paper Windmills
The crafting of paper windmills requires simple materials and tools. The primary material is a square piece of paper, akin in thickness to standard writing paper. Additionally, you’ll need a thin wooden stick measuring around twenty to thirty centimeters, a piece of fine wire about nine centimeters in length, two segments of plastic drinking straws approximately three centimeters long each, and a small Styrofoam ball or a small button. The only tool required for crafting is a pair of sharp and nimble scissors.
The process of making paper windmills is straightforward. Begin by folding the square paper diagonally to form a triangle, then fold the corners of the triangle inward to create a smaller triangle.
Next, unfold the paper to restore its original square shape. At this point, two diagonal fold lines intersect within the square. Using the scissors, cut along each of these fold lines from the corners towards the center, leaving approximately two-thirds of the length uncut. This portion is roughly equivalent to the length of one fold line.
Once all four fold lines are cut, thread the nine-centimeter wire through the center of the square paper. Let about four and a half centimeters of the wire protrude from each end of the paper. Then, on one end of the wire, slide a three-centimeter piece of plastic straw, leaving only one and a half centimeters of the wire exposed.
The purpose of sliding the straw is to maintain flexibility. Next, take each of the four corners of the square, now split into two pieces, and sequentially pull them towards the center. Insert each corner into the one and a half centimeters of wire, ensuring they are snug. Finally, at the foremost end of the wire, insert either a small Styrofoam ball or a button to serve as a securing element. The tip of the wire is bent and twisted tightly, ensuring that the fan blades won’t slip off. On the other end of the paper, a 4.5-centimeter-long piece of wire is also encased in a 3-centimeter-long plastic straw to facilitate smoother rotation of the windmill.
The exposed 1.5-centimeter-long tip is then wrapped around a thin wooden stick, about twenty to thirty centimeters long, for easy handling. Playing a game of windmill racing with the windmill held in hand is delightful indeed. However, holding the windmill constantly can be tiresome; why not devise a way to mount it on the head instead?
Let’s stick to the traditional method and craft a windmill. Starting with a square piece of paper, instead of folding, we can directly draw two intersecting diagonal lines on it. Then, using scissors, cut from each corner of the square paper along the diagonal lines towards the center, stopping about two-thirds of the way. Next, thread a thin wire through the center of the square paper, and attach a piece of straw onto one end of the wire. From the four corners of the square paper that have been cut, take one blade from each corner on the same side and pull them towards the center, threading them onto the tip of the wire one by one.
Finally, attach a Styrofoam ball to the tip of the wire as a fixing agent, then bend the wire tightly and secure it to the fixing agent. However, for the back of the windmill, we deviate from the old method. We must first find a stiff, long paper strip that can encircle the head, approximately two to three centimeters wide, along with a disposable drinking cup. Behind the windmill, there is now a petite sphere of polystyrene inserted onto the wire, serving as an anchoring point. Atop this sphere rests the base of a paper cup, through which the wire is threaded, then twisted to secure onto the elongated strip of paper. To mitigate any risk of the wire grazing one’s forehead, a layer of adhesive tape can be applied over it for added safety. Now, let’s don it and gauge its fit. If it sits just right, we shall affix the length of the paper strip using either adhesive or a stapler. There we have it, transformed into a troupe of wind-sailing aviators.
The windmill, a ubiquitous contrivance not confined to the realms of China but glimpsed across distant lands, holds a distinct place. In Hong Kong, there resides a revered figure known as “Che Kung,” said to possess profound efficacy. During the onset of the lunar new year, throngs flock to the Che Kung Temple, where spinning the windmill by hand promises a year of auspicious winds, abundant wealth, and robust health. Some, upon visiting the temple, procure miniature windmills to grace their homes, seeking to bolster fortunes for the forthcoming year. Thus, the windmill becomes emblematic of fortune’s favor.
