Collection of handmade spinning top ideas: how to make tops for use in childcare and play
Spinning tops are a classic item enjoyed as a New Year’s game.
They’ve traditionally been played with because you can enjoy watching the top whirl around by pulling a string or twirling a stick, and they’re popular with children, too.
In this article, we’ve put together a roundup of handmade spinning top ideas that let you enjoy both making and playing.
Many can be made with simple materials you have at home, like milk cartons and flyers, so they’re easy to try.
Give it a go and create your own original tops with any illustrations or patterns you like.
A collection of homemade spinning top ideas: How to make tops for preschool activities and play (1–10)
cardboard
If you want to easily make a spinning top using materials you have at home, how about one made from cardboard? Just cut the cardboard into long, narrow strips, apply glue, roll it up tightly from one end, and insert a toothpick into the center—super simple to make! You can finish it by coloring the cardboard or decorating it with masking tape, which would look great.
Also, making lots of them to race, or competing in games like battling tops, could be a fun way for parents and children or friends to get excited together.
Marbles and rubber bands
It’s a simple-looking craft that doesn’t seem like a spinning top at first glance: just link rubber bands together and attach a marble to each end.
The key is how you spin it.
Hold one marble, then rotate the other in circles to wind the rubber bands around the marble you’re holding.
Once the rubber bands are wound tightly, you’re ready—let go, and the rubber bands unwind, making the two marbles spin around rapidly.
The sight of it gradually expanding and the colorful marbles zipping around is quite striking.
plastic bottle cap
The spinning top made by connecting plastic bottle caps with string has a unique wind-catching shape and a colorful look that really stands out.
Make a hole in the center of each cap, connect them with string to form a ring, and adjust the angles as you shape it into a circle.
Once it’s neat and round, attach round pieces of thick paper to the top and bottom center, make holes in them, and add the axle to finish.
If it’s too small and hard to spin, try increasing the number of connected caps or making the axle larger for an easier grip.
Also pay attention to which direction it spins more easily, and aim for a more stable rotation.
Mini Gem Spinning Top
This craft features a colorful, beautiful look with a rotating board decorated with gem stickers and the like.
Attach a stabilizing part—such as the bottom of a plastic bottle—to the center of a thick coaster, then decorate the other side with gem stickers and craft parts.
As you design, imagine how it will look while spinning and add decorations in a balanced way.
Since it doesn’t have a handle, it’s not only fun to use as a spinning top but also makes an attractive decorative piece.
Thread-spinning top
Let’s try making a cool, fast-spinning pull-string top! It’s a perfect craft idea for kids, too.
This top can be spun just by pulling a string, even if you don’t have much strength.
First, create the top’s shape with Perler beads (fuse beads), then insert a chopstick with a sharpened tip into the center of the top.
It will spin well as is, but by adding a mechanism with a straw to pull the string, you can make it spin even more powerfully! Winding and pulling the string might feel a little tricky at first, but give it a try and spin your top in style!
How to fold a spinning top that twirls!
Here’s an idea for a colorful, well-spinning top made with three sheets of origami paper.
You’ll make the outer body, the inner body, and the handle.
The outer part follows the same steps as the “deceiver boat” up to a point.
After making one boat shape on both the top and bottom, open up those corners and squash them to change the shape from a square to a diamond.
Fold the four corners that lie between the diamond’s points outward, then fold the diamond’s points inward.
For the inner part, do the “cushion fold” three times, flipping the paper over after each fold.
For the handle, do the cushion fold three times without flipping, then make a mountain fold along the diagonal.
Finally, press all four edges tightly inward, and it’s done.
Combine the parts to complete a single spinning top.
milk carton
This is a spinning top made from an opened milk carton, with four wings spread out in all directions.
As you cut each wing, try to keep them the same size and aim for a shape that spins more easily.
To improve spin, cut the tips of the wings at an angle and attach a plastic bottle cap in the center as the axle.
It’s recommended to build it with the inside (white side) of the carton facing up, as it makes pen decorations easier.
To keep the wings straight and stable, you can also reinforce them by layering thick paper or cardboard.