How to Make an Efficient Hot Air Pinwheel

Select the paper for your pinwheel. The most efficient papers for pinwheels are lightweight, but with structure. Origami paper is ideal for this use and is readily available at any craft shop.

Cut the paper into a perfect square using a straightedge and scissors. Origami paper is typically sold in squares, so you will not need to trim it.

Lay the straightedge diagonally across the paper. Mark a straight line from one corner to the other with a pencil.

Lay the straightedge along the opposite diagonal. Mark a straight line between the other two corners. The paper is now divided into four triangles.

Cut along each line with the scissors. Start cutting at each corner, and stop one-third of the way to the center.

Bend every other corner upward to the center, overlapping the corners slightly to form the blades of the pinwheel. Insert a pushpin through the center of the pinwheel, from front to back, securing the four blades in place.

Cut a 1-inch circle of cardboard using the scissors. Insert the pushpin through the center of the circle. The cardboard will form a stationary backing for the pinwheel, stabilizing its rotation and allowing it to function efficiently.

Press the end of the pushpin into the top of a length of 1/4-inch dowel. Only insert the pin far enough to hold the pinwheel.

Power the hot air pinwheel by placing a votive candle below it. The most efficient placement for the candle is slightly off center. If the pinwheel spins clockwise, place the candle to the left of center. If the pinwheel spins counterclockwise, place the candle to the right of center.