Collection of handmade spinning top ideas: how to make tops for use in childcare and play

jelly cup

We’d like to introduce a simple, well-spinning handmade top using jelly cups! If your kids love jelly and you end up with lots of empty cups you want to repurpose, this is an idea worth trying.

First, the trick is to choose jelly cups with a rounded bottom.

By combining this idea with plastic bottle caps, you can make four different kinds of tops.

They’re all very easy to make, so have fun making them together with your children.

For the finishing touch, decorating with washi tape or stickers can give your tops a unique, personal look.

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CD

Let's make and play with a 'CD spinning top' that spins really well! The black-and-white patterns will look like colors.

If you’ve got CDs lying around at home, why not repurpose them into handmade spinning tops? By combining a CD with a marble, you can transform it into a top that spins really well! The trick is to choose a marble that’s slightly larger than the hole in the center of the CD.

To make it, just apply glue around the center hole of the CD and fix the marble in place.

You can also add a small piece of double-sided tape where you pinch it, or use a finger cot for extra grip, making it easier to spin.

Plus, it’s fun to design and decorate the disc! Try making your own original top in your favorite colors and have fun spinning it.

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acorn

Kimie Gangi: Easy and safe “How to make an acorn top (spinning top)” for elementary school Life Studies. #acorn #donguri #LifeStudies #2ndGrade #children’splay #elementaryschoolteacher

Why not make a homemade spinning top using acorns you’ve picked up at parks or campgrounds? It’s also a great opportunity for kids to get hands-on with natural materials.

The trick is to choose larger acorns, such as sawtooth oak (kunugi) acorns, for the top.

First, mark the center of the top of the acorn, then set it on a rubber doorstop or similar item to hold it steady.

While holding the acorn firmly, use a pushpin to make a hole.

If you want to widen the hole, you can use a screw hook.

Once the hole is made, insert a toothpick straight in, trim it to a suitable length, and you’re done! This method is simple and safe enough for elementary school children, so give it a try.

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A spinning top made from the bottom of a milk carton

[Craft Play 062] How to Make a Spinning Top Using the Bottom of a Milk Carton: An Easy-to-Make, Well-Spinning Handmade Top

There used to be a word, “milk bottle,” and for a long time milk normally came in bottles.

Back in the day, the milk served with school lunches was in small bottles, too.

Maybe people shied away from them because bottles are heavy and dangerous when they break? It feels like milk cartons took their place in no time.

But those milk cartons are paper and yet surprisingly sturdy, aren’t they? So how about making a spinning top using a milk carton? Just cut out circles or squares with scissors and stick a toothpick through—it’s almost done.

You can even use a plastic bottle cap as a handle.

And don’t forget to add your own special decorations!

Beautiful and fun origami spinning top

Speaking of spinning tops, personally I picture wood as the material.

If you’re from the beigoma generation, maybe iron comes to mind.

In fact, even in the Reiwa era, beigoma are quietly gaining popularity, and I’ve heard there are even superalloy versions on the market.

If you’re thinking, “Metal ones seem dangerous when you swing them around…,” then origami tops are a great recommendation.

You can enjoy making origami tops to match your crafting level, from simple ones made with a single sheet of paper to more advanced versions with a toothpick axle.

Some beautiful origami tops even use three or four sheets of paper.

If you’re confident in your dexterity, give it a try!

How to make an acorn top

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In autumn, when you go into the fields and hills, you sometimes find acorns.

Of course, you can also find them in nearby parks or suburban picnic areas.

It’s delightful when an acorn still has its cap attached, and the joy of finding a slightly larger acorn is something else.

Let’s make a spinning top using those acorns.

If you boil the acorns once and then dry them, it sterilizes them and helps prevent pests.

After that, just use an awl to make a hole in the top and insert a toothpick.

Applying varnish will give it a beautiful finish.

Making an old-fashioned acorn top like this might even make you want to sing a nursery rhyme while you work.

Coma with a Myakumyaku motif

Did you go to the Osaka-Kansai World Expo held in 2025? Although it was billed as a “no-lines Expo,” in the end people still had to line up; there were comments like not seeing many flying cars after all, and that it was so crowded it just left you tired.

But I believe the Osaka Expo offered emotions and excitement that far outweighed those negatives.

One of the stars of the Expo, Myaku-Myaku, was incredibly popular too.

It could be fun to make a spinning top in Myaku-Myaku’s colors—white, blue, and red—and use it to liven up your Expo memories.

If you can’t make a top with origami, simply painting a store-bought top in Myaku-Myaku colors works fine.

And if you can draw, definitely try illustrating Myaku-Myaku as well.