Wallpaper Fan

Last updated on January 4th, 2025 at 09:45 pm

by Jane Lake

Paper crafts aren’t just for kids!

Make a pretty recycled wallpaper fan to accent a bedroom or bathroom mirror, or as a wall hanging to add color to any room.

See How to Make a Paper Fan for hand-held paper fans suitable for a summer party or decoration.

What You Will Need:

• wallpaper scraps or wallpaper border (paper fan shown, above left, was made with a border 27″ long by about 10″ high)
• pre-gathered lace trim
• ribbon
• silk flowers
• clothespin
• hot glue or tacky glue

Craft Instructions:

Fold the fan accordian style, using a 1/2″ pleat. You can measure and mark half inch lines on the back to use a folding guide. Or you can take your time and concentrate on keeping each pleat the same size as the one before. Either method will work, but remember the objective is to keep the folds exactly the same size.

If the end of your fan shows the back of the paper at the front of the fan, then cut off the last fold; you only want the front of the paper to show on the finished fan.

Pinch the fan together with your fingers at the bottom edge. By gently opening the rest of the fan you should be able to form a half circle shape. Use the clothes pin to keep the bottom edge together while you work the glue gun.

Working on the back, carefully place the tip of the glue gun between each fold, and use just a small dab of hot glue to secure in place. Reinforce with more glue, if needed, running a bead of glue near the bottom of the pleats that you just finished gluing, and along the bottom edge where all the pleats come together. Be careful not to burn your fingers!

Now refer to the photos for decorating ideas. Two styles are shown: one has four large silk flowers clustered in the bottom center of the fan, embellished with green and white ribbon. The other style, as shown in this larger photo, has off-white mock-orange blossoms and buds climbing up from the center to the left. This is the fun part! Make use of the tops of silk flowers left over from other arrangements or try dried flowers. Set your selection in place without glue first to decide how you best like the arrangement.

Add a length of coordinating pre-gathered lace to the top of the first crease at the base of the fan. Just run a very thin bead of hot glue along the top of the crease for a few inches, then press the top of the lace in place. Repeat until the lace is glued all along the bottom.

Suggestions:

These would make beautiful wedding decorations. The variations are really endless. Try adding lace to the top edge by gluing in place before folding the pleats. Scallop the top edge of your wallpaper before folding, or add sparkle with glitter glue.