3 pretty ways with paper fans

Dress up any party with these bright and breezy crafts—made in minutes!

Inspire smiles

with colorful coasters

Patterned scrapbook paper is transformed into too-cute trivets for sweet treats. To do: For each, snip two 5" squares of scrapbook paper. Fold one accordion-style until it forms a narrow rectangle. Fold the rectangle in half and glue the edges that meet, forming a half circle. Repeat with the other square of paper, then glue the straight sides of the fans together to form a circle.

SECRET SOURCE: No time to craft? Try ready-made Polka Dot & Chevron Mini Paper Fans, $4 for 5, PartyCity.com

Beautify your space

with a whimsical display

All it takes to create a gallery-style wall that wows is a few paper hand fans, a handful of buttons and some poster putty. To do: For each, grab a patterned paper hand fan, then carefully remove the paper from the plastic handle. Pinch the paper together (where the handle was) and secure with hot glue. Use another dot of hot glue to affix a button to the center of the fan and attach to the wall with poster putty. SECRET SOURCE: For fans starting at $4 for 12, search “hand fans” at OrientalTrading.com

Add instant ambience

with fan-tastic twinklers

Popping a floating candle into a water-filled glass adorned with mini paper pinwheels is sure to light up any tabletop. To do: For each, cut a piece of patterned paper to 6 inches by 2 inches. Then lay it on a flat surface and fold accordian-style, starting at one of the short ends. Pinch the folds together and staple the center. Fold the strip in half and glue the edges that meet, forming a half circle. Let dry, then pinch and glue the edges together on the opposite side to form a full circle. Next, glue a button to the center of the fan; let dry. Attach the fan to a glass using a glue dot. To finish, add water to the glass and set a candle afloat.