DIY swirl decorations made from paper and hung from the ceiling are great for party decor or simply adding a touch of crafty whimsy to a room. Whether you buy special colored or patterned paper just for this project or use up paper you already have around the home, this decoration project is very inexpensive as well as easy for all ages to craft. Plus, you can easily take down and recycle the hanging swirl decorations when you're finished with them, creating minimal waste.
There are two versions of DIY swirl decorations to consider: simple spirals and fancier flowery swirls. Why not make plenty of both in coordinated paper colors for an impressive display?
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Simple Spiral DIY Swirl Decorations
Things You'll Need
Sheets of paper
Pencil
Scissors
Removable hanging tape or strips
Tip
You can use almost any type of paper and sheets of any size for these hanging swirl decorations. Heavier paper, such as construction paper, will result in stiffer spirals, while lighter paper will hang down lower in looser spirals.
Step 1: Draw the Spirals
With a pencil, draw a spiral starting in the center and ending at one side edge of the piece of paper. Make the lines of the spiral at least 1 inch apart. Create the spiral in the shape of a circle but don't worry about it being perfect.
Step 2: Cut the Spirals
With scissors, trim the corners off the paper so that they align with the outer edges of the spiral shape. Discard the cut-off edges.
Starting at the point where the spiral meets the outer edge of the paper, cut along the pencil line all the way along the spiral to the center.
Step 3: Hang the Spirals
Stick a small strip of removable hanging tape to the middle part of the spiral and stick it to the ceiling in your chosen spot. The spiral should dangle down from the ceiling in a bouncy swirl. Make more hanging swirl decorations in the same manner.
Fancy, Flowery DIY Swirl Decorations
Things You'll Need
Sheets of paper
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors
Stapler
Removable hanging tape or strips
Step 1: Draw Parallel Lines
Stack together around four to six sheets of paper and with a ruler and pencil, draw parallel lines 1 to 2 inches apart across the topmost sheet. The lines can go horizontally or vertically; the length of the paper strips isn't too important.
Step 2: Cut Along the Lines
While holding the stack of paper neatly together, cut along the pencil lines to create multiple rectangular strips of paper with each cut.
Repeat this process until you have dozens of paper strips. Optionally, cut some stacks of paper into longer strips by drawing lines vertically and others into shorter strips by drawing the lines horizontally.
Tip
It’s difficult to predict how many paper strips you will need, as this craft project doesn’t follow an exact hanging swirl decorations template. If needed, you can cut additional paper strips as you work.
Step 3: Create One Long Strip
Overlap the ends of three or four long paper strips in a row and join them together with staples to create one long strip. Make it the approximate length that you desire for the hanging swirl decorations to come down from the ceiling.
Step 4: Create a Variety of Shapes
Create a variety of swirl and petal shapes from individual strips of paper, securing each one with a staple. Twist some strips into circular spirals with one end of the paper strip loose in the center and the other end stapled in place. For petal shapes, press and then staple the ends of a single strip of paper together.
Create more complex swirl and petal shapes from several strips of paper held together. Form two or three petal shapes and staple all their ends together to resemble part of a flower. Experiment with a variety of shapes.
Step 5: Staple the Shapes
Align the various individual and grouped swirl and petal shapes along the long strip of paper and staple them individually along its entire length. You can rearrange the shapes before stapling to get a design you love.
Step 6: Repeat the Process
Make more fancy, flowery DIY swirl decorations in the same way.
Step 7: Attach the Decorations
Attach the decorations to the ceiling using removable hanging tape or strips.