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.
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Summary of handmade spinning top ideas. How to make spinning tops usable for childcare and play (41–50)
How to make an easy spinning top from a milk carton
Here’s an idea for making a spinning top using a milk carton, a plastic bottle cap, and a straw.
First, open up the corners and flatten the milk carton, then round-cut all four sides at a point 10 cm up from the bottom.
Decorate it by drawing pictures or adding stickers, and then attach the plastic bottle cap to the center of the milk carton.
On the back side, stick a short piece of straw at the same position, and it’s done.
The sides of the milk carton act like fins, making it easy to spin, so it’s great for small children.
A playable spinning top made from a paper cup
How about making your own traditional New Year’s spinning top this year and playing with it? You can easily make one with a paper cup, a straw, and a plastic bottle cap, so give it a try.
Leave about 5 millimeters of the bottom of the paper cup and cut around it with scissors.
If a child is making it, please have a guardian watch to prevent any cuts.
Once you’ve made slits all the way around, spread them out and draw your favorite patterns.
Make a hole in the bottom of the paper cup, insert a straw cut to about 6 centimeters, and secure it to the cap—that’s it! Spend a fun New Year with a one-of-a-kind spinning top!
Just paper plates and a bottle cap! A spinning top that even 1-year-olds can make
Koma (spinning tops) are perfect both for New Year’s games and for everyday play.
This top is easy to make: paste small torn pieces of origami paper onto the surface of a paper plate, then glue a plastic bottle cap to the center.
A tip is not to use the paper plate as is, but to fold it in half twice to make creases beforehand.
Doing this creates a central shaft-like area, making it spin more easily.
Hold the cap and try spinning it on a hard floor.
For a more festive look, use not only solid-color origami but also traditional Japanese patterned paper.
Craft you can play with! Paper plate spinning top
A handmade spinning top using a paper plate is super easy to make and highly recommended.
Unlike a classic top in both look and play, it starts whirling with just a gentle puff of air, making it a fresh, sure-fire hit with kids.
Fold the paper plate so that it’s creased into eight equal sections, then cut along the rim.
Fold the cut sections diagonally, and you’re done.
Add stickers or draw designs as you like to create your own original top.
It’s also fun to imagine how your drawings and stickers will look when the top spins.
You can buy paper plates at 100-yen shops, so give it a try!
Origami spinning tops you can play with during the New Year!
@niconico_mama How did you spend New Year’s? 🥰Origami#origami
♪ Isn't it enough to be just cute? – First Chorus – CUTIE STREET
Here’s an origami spinning top idea you can make once you know the “zabuton fold.” You’ll use two sheets of origami paper, so prepare your favorite colors.
First, let’s fold the first sheet.
Do a zabuton fold by bringing all four corners to the center, then repeat that same fold two more times.
For the second sheet, also do the zabuton fold three times, but flip the paper over after each fold.
After the third zabuton fold, flip the paper over and open out the corners that are gathered at the center to the outside.
This will be the body of the spinning top; the first sheet will be the handle.
For the handle, squash the areas between the corners so the center stands up, then insert it inside the body of the spinning top, aligning the corners as you go.
Now your top is complete—use the handle to spin it and have fun!
Easy Spinning Top Made from a Milk Carton
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Fuzzy Navel – Conton Candy
Here’s an idea for making a spinning top you blow on using a milk carton.
First, cut the carton about 1.5 cm up from the bottom, then make slits at the four corners and open it up.
Next, rotating the carton in a consistent direction from each corner, cut along the edges of the bottom.
Leave about 1 cm uncut at the ends.
Bend the sections you just cut inward so they gather toward the center, and decorate with masking tape or stickers to finish.
If you blow straight down from above, it will spin around and around.
Well-spinning paper cup top
This is a spinning top made with a paper cup that spins well and is fun to watch because of its colorful look.
All you need are a paper cup and two plastic bottle caps.
First, cut slits into the paper cup and spread them out like propeller blades, then attach an axle made by combining the two caps.
That’s enough to complete the basic shape, but it’s recommended to decorate the “propellers” with an eye toward how it will look while spinning.
The impression changes depending on whether you spread the propellers before decorating or decorate first and then cut the slits, so try out various patterns.
In conclusion
One of the highlights of spinning tops is enjoying how the illustrations and patterns drawn on the top change in sync with its rotation. It’s also fun to include your favorite characters or symbols when making one. Creating tops together with children can become a cherished family memory. While experiencing traditional Japanese culture, try making your own handmade top that can be customized in many different ways.