How to Make a Paper Spinner: Easy Origami Fidget Spinner

Lay a 15 cm square of origami paper colored side down. Bring one corner across to the opposite corner to make a triangle, line up the edges, and crease firmly. Unfold. Fold the other two corners together the same way and unfold again. You now have an X of creases running corner to corner. Every later fold lines up with these, so make them sharp.

Using the X as a guide, fold the top right corner in so its tip touches the center point. Crease it well. Fold the other three corners in the same way, one at a time. The paper becomes a smaller square turned on its point. Now unfold all four corners. You only need the creases they leave behind.

Turn the paper over. Fold it in half from side to side, crease and unfold. Then bring the right edge in to meet that center crease, press it flat and unfold. Do the same with the left edge. The square is now divided into four equal vertical strips. Keep each fold lined up with the edges so the strips come out even.

Repeat the same three folds the other way. Fold the square in half from top to bottom, crease and unfold. Bring the bottom edge to the center crease, then the top edge, creasing and unfolding each time. When you lay it flat, the paper shows a grid of four by four squares plus the diagonals from the start.

Pinch each corner closed along its small diagonal crease, so the corners stand up a little. This makes the next move easier. Now push all four sides in toward the center along the fourths creases. The paper closes into a flat square with four flaps. Leave one flap pointing in each direction, like a pinwheel. That is your base.

Turn the base over and rotate it so a flap points up. Fold the small square at the top in to the middle, crease it well and unfold. Repeat with the other three small squares around the base. Then fold only the right corner in and unfold it. These creases guide the triangle you form in the next step.

Lower the right corner you creased last and close that side along the existing line. The middle of the paper turns into a triangle. Flip it over. On the back there is one remaining layer. Open it using the creases you already made and press it down to form the same triangle on this side. The spinner now has three arms.

Look for the extra paper sticking out beside one arm. Instead of gluing it, fold it along a diagonal so it tucks against the arm and locks that part in place. Press it hard. Repeat the same lock on the other two arms. When all three are done, the spinner holds its shape on its own without any glue.

Take the corner at the tip of one arm and fold it down so it runs straight along the edge of the center triangle. Crease it firmly, then unfold. Do the same on the other two arms. These new creases set up the petals that make the spinner turn. Hold the center steady with your other hand while you fold.

Using the creases from the last step, open the tip of each arm into a small curved petal. The petals catch air the way sails do. Shape all three the same. Now hold the spinner lightly at the center, top and bottom, and blow across one side. It whirls. You can also flick an arm with a finger for a quick spin.