How to Make a Traditional Watermelon Paper Fan for Summer

Reference Images: Creative Samana

Author: Talha

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It has been more than two weeks of sharing summer craft ideas, but the charm of a watermelon paper crafts(with which I started) is unmatched. That’s why, today, you can learn how to make this watermelon slice paper fan with a little paper flower in the middle and paper handles.

This is based on the traditional Chinese paper fan and can be rolled back to a rectangle for ease of carrying. The idea is to draw the seeds over a red sheet, attach the rind strips and follow the usual steps to make a paper fan.

So, it is gonna be a simple folding project that kids and adults will both try. Or, I can call it the coolest summer activity. They can make it for themselves to stay cool while they are on their way back home from school!

Difficulty: Beginner (Level 1)

Time: 30 Minutes

DIY Watermelon Paper Fan with Centre Flower

This craft uses the accordion fold to make a round watermelon slice fan (also called a paper rosette). Adding the paper flower in the centre hides the middle join and makes it look even CUTER.

Materials Needed

• Red A4 Paper (2sheets for a full circle)
• Black Marker
• White and Green Paper Strips cut from A4 paper from the longer side
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Small Paper Flower (for the centre

Step-by-Step Instructions

Learn how to make this paper watermelon fan with the easy step-by-step instructions below:

1. Prepare the Red Base

Start with a standard sheet of red A4 paper in red. You can use the Tant paper for a strong fan!

2. Draw the Seeds

Use a black marker to draw small teardrop shapes all over the red paper. Spread them out evenly so it looks like a seed-filled watermelon slice.

3. Attach the Rind Layers

On the longer edges of your red paper, you need to add the “rind.”

First, glue a thin strip of white paper along the top and bottom edges.

Then, glue a slightly wider strip of green paper directly over the white strips, making sure a bit of the white still shows. This will make the slice prep. Now, we can make a watermelon paper fan out of this sheet.

4. Start Accordion Folding

Starting from one of the short edges, fold the paper back and forth in small, even pleats (about 1 inch wide). Keep going until the whole sheet is folded into one thin strip.

5. Fold in Half

Take your pleated strip and fold it exactly in half so the two ends meet. This creates a “V” or fan shape.

6. Glue the Inner Areas

Apply glue to the inner touching sides of the “V” and press them together. You now have one section of your fan.

7. Make the Full Circle

Repeat steps 1 through 6 with 1 more sheet of paper. Once you have two identical fan sections, glue their side edges together to make a circle with one V section missing.

7. Attach the Handles

To make the fan easy to hold and open, we are attaching two handles on either side, which will make a V section when open. That’s why we did not use the third fold in red. Glue one handle to each side of your V-section. For this method, we are gonna make handles by diagonally rolling two A4 green sheets of paper.

Tip: You can also use the popsicle sticks as the handle after painting them.

8. Form the Circle

Once the handles are secure, you can pull them all the way around until they meet, which pulls the paper into a full, round watermelon circle.

9. Add the Centre Flower (optional)

To finish the look, take your paper flower and glue it right in the middle where all the folds meet. This hides the centre hole and makes the fan look like a beautiful summer blossom. The flower will be made in the same way we usually make a star out of a square, but in the cutting step, we shall curve the cut.

And that’s how you will make a paper fan for summer!

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