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.
- It's fun to spin! A collection of DIY toy ideas
- Handmade spinning tops with everyday materials! Easy ideas you can enjoy for New Year’s too
- Handmade ideas to create and play the traditional Japanese game “Daruma Otoshi”!
- Moving! Spinning! Flying! Fun handmade toys made with rubber bands
- Let's make a handmade hagoita! Fun ideas using milk cartons and cardboard
- Fun for elementary school kids! A collection of craft ideas using plastic bottle caps!
- [Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas You Can Create Yourself
- New Year’s card ideas to make with children: simple designs using stickers and stamps
- Let's Make and Play! A Collection of Homemade Kendama Ideas
- [Handmade] A collection of stylish DIY koinobori (carp streamer) ideas
- DIY ideas for a den-den daiko (Japanese pellet drum). Let’s make and play with this nostalgic toy!
- Handmade Anpanman toy ideas
- [Handmade] A collection of bamboo-copter ideas using various materials
Collection of handmade spinning-top ideas: How to make tops you can use in childcare and play (21–30)
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.
origami
We’re introducing how to fold a stylish spinning top that you can make with just three sheets of origami paper! It’s perfect for making and playing together with your child or friends.
You’ll create each part with the three sheets of paper and assemble them at the end.
There aren’t many difficult steps, and you won’t need glue or scissors, so kids can easily give it a try.
You can also freely customize it by changing the colors or adding patterned paper, letting you express your originality! It would make a delightful handmade gift from a child, too!
CD
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.
Cardboard hand-cranked spinning top
Back in the days when there were no video games or smartphones, kids played by hitting baseballs or kicking balls around.
Then you wonder—what did they do before baseballs and balls existed? They hopped on one foot, played tag, and in the end, they knew how to have fun within whatever environment they were given.
Feeling a bit nostalgic, why not make and play with a spinning top out of cardboard? It’s simple: just cut a circle from cardboard and insert a Frankfurt sausage stick or a pair of chopsticks.
Have fun painting it however you like! In an age when we have everything, a simple cardboard top might even feel refreshingly new.
sunflower
This sunflower spinning top incorporates a seasonal touch, looks cute, and spins really well! It’s a great idea for a summer vacation craft.
First, cut the rim of a paper cup into 16 equal sections and spread them out, then trim off any excess.
Rounding the edges of the sections that will become petals makes it extra cute! Next, attach a plastic bottle cap to the bottom of the paper cup, and you’re done.
You can use colored paper cups or decorate plain white ones.
It’s easy for small children to spin, so be sure to make it together as a parent-child activity and have fun playing with it.