Lovely handmade crafts

Simple and breezy handmade fans | A curated selection of ideas you can whip up in no time!

Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

Japan’s summers are getting hotter and more uncomfortable with each passing year.

There are plenty of exciting things like festivals and pools, but many people find the heat alone simply unbearable!

In this article, we’ll introduce DIY ideas for uchiwa (traditional Japanese hand fans), handy items that can help you get through the muggy summer a little more comfortably.

From pieces you can make with familiar materials to stylish designs that look cool and refreshing, we’ll cover a wide range—so be sure to use them as inspiration!

Simple and Breezy Handmade Uchiwa Fans | A Curated Selection of Quick-Make Ideas (11–20)

Milk carton fan making

Let’s have fun making it with the scratch technique: A milk carton fan

Milk carton fan making

One way to beat the summer heat is with a uchiwa fan! Let’s make an easy one using milk cartons.

Take two opened milk cartons you’ve prepared, cut each into a circle, place a wooden chopstick between them as a handle, and stick the two circles together.

Next, cut a piece of construction paper into a matching circle and draw any picture you like.

Here’s a tip: cover the entire paper randomly with different colors of crayon, then color over everything with black crayon.

Use a chopstick or toothpick to scratch out your design—the result looks like fireworks in the night sky! Spraying the crayon drawing with hairspray will help prevent smudging.

Finally, glue your artwork onto the milk-carton fan, and you’re done! It’s perfect to bring along to a fireworks festival, too.

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Anpanman fan

[DIY] Easy! Anpanman Uchiwa (Fan)

Anpanman fan

Introducing a fun idea for an Anpanman fan featuring a cool cape that spreads out! Here’s how to make an Anpanman fan.

You’ll need origami paper, construction paper, a pencil, a wooden skewer, craft glue, a ruler, scissors, tape, colored pens, and colored pencils.

The Anpanman fan has a mechanism: when you rotate the wooden skewer, Anpanman’s cape opens up, making it look like he’s flying—so fun, right? It’ll be exciting to make together with kids, too.

Give it a try!

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In conclusion

This time, we introduced ideas for easy, quick-to-make handmade uchiwa fans.

Not only do they cool you down when you wave them, but just looking at them seems to ease the heat—an essential item for summer.

Make your own right away and power through this year’s extreme heat with energy!