How to Make Model Airplane Propellers From Plastic Cups

Cut the plastic cups in half, also cutting out the bottoms of the cup.

Use the measuring tape to mark a rectangle about 2 inches by 8 inches along the cup. Draw all lines at a 5 degree angle to make the propeller aerodynamically efficient. Repeat four times, on each side of the halved cup.

Straighten two paper clips. Bend a small loop in the middle of one straightened paper clip so it will resemble a lower-case "o" with two lines coming from the top of both sides. Bend a small hook at the end of the other paper clip so it resembles a lower-case "o" with one long line coming from the bottom. Hook the paperclips together and secure with glue.

Attach the plastic propeller halves to the paperclip shaft of your model airplane, securing them with tape. The paperclip with two straightened sides should have a propeller attached to both sides of the paperclip as well as both sides of the extension, which is why you cut out four propeller wings. The leftover straightened paperclip is to attach to the body of the airplane.

Shape the propeller wings more gracefully with a razor or scissors, rounding the edges of the 2-inch-by-8-inch rectangles.

Tape together the propeller wings that are attached to the same side of the paperclip extension so they form a single propeller.