It's fun to spin! A collection of DIY toy ideas
What I’d like to introduce this time is a fun handmade toy that’s entertaining when you spin it.
We’ve gathered lots of ideas for toys you can make from familiar materials like paper cups and paper plates, as well as from recyclables like empty boxes and plastic bottle caps.
Once they’re finished, they’re full of clever mechanisms that make you want to spin them again and again! You can get the other materials at 100-yen shops or home improvement stores, so be sure to find a toy you like, make it, and have fun playing with it!
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Fun when you spin them! A collection of handmade toy ideas (11–20)
Spinning mirror plate
Here’s how to make a mysterious spinning mirror plate.
Prepare colored pens, a ruler, a paper plate, mirror-like cardstock, cellophane tape, a utility knife, an awl, and one large and one small straw.
Use the ruler to draw three lines on the paper plate so that they are evenly spaced.
This will create six triangles; in each triangle, draw and color your favorite designs, varying their sizes.
Measure and cut with the utility knife, then assemble the mirror section.
Attach the thick straw to the back side of the mirror, lining it up with the fold lines.
Cut the thin straw to the height of the mirror, then slit about 1 centimeter at the tip into four equal vertical sections.
Use the awl to make a hole in the center of the paper plate, insert the thin straw, and secure the slitted tip with cellophane tape.
Insert the mirror’s straw piece onto the thin straw, and your spinning mirror plate is complete! Spin it as you play—the patterns change like a kaleidoscope, making it lots of fun.
The spinning merry-go-round
Here’s how to make a spinning merry-go-round.
Prepare colored construction paper, straws, glue, cellophane tape, a paper cup, round stickers, scissors, a compass, a ruler, craft thread, crayons, and colored pens.
Cut two circles with a 5 cm radius, three squares of 4 cm, one rectangle 7 cm tall × 12 cm wide, and four narrow rectangles 5 cm tall × 1.5 cm wide.
Make holes in the side and bottom of the paper cup, pass a straw through both holes, then cut the protruding straw into four equal parts, open them out, and glue them to a round piece of paper.
Cut a long straw in half to complete the base of the merry-go-round.
For the pillar, apply glue to the large rectangular paper and roll it into a tube.
Fold each of the four narrow rectangles in half; apply glue to one half and attach them from the inside of the tube so they are evenly spaced.
Attach thread to the square papers, draw lines at about 45 degrees on the round paper, and make one vertical cut at a single point.
Have the children draw pictures on each piece of paper.
Use the illustrated round paper as the roof, and use round stickers to attach the illustrated square papers as well.
Trim both ends of the pillar, glue the pillar to the base, adjust the overall shape, and you’re done!
Easy-to-play! How to fold a spinning top
Here’s an easy and cool way to fold a spinning top.
Please prepare three sheets of origami paper.
First, fold the paper in half into a square twice.
Open it and fold it into a triangle twice.
Open it, fold it like a boat, then squash it into a square.
Using the center as the axis, fold up the edges of each of the four squares.
Open the folded sections and squash-fold them.
Use the remaining two sheets to fold the center and the top’s axle.
Align the center and the axle, and you’re done! If you make them in various sizes, they also make great decorations, so I recommend it.
Cool! Origami Beyblade
The swirl-like design looks cool! Let’s make a Beyblade out of origami.
Using three sheets of origami paper, we’ll make the outer and inner decorations of the body, plus the handle.
You can make the inner part and the handle with a cushion fold (zabuton-ori).
For the outer part, first fold all four edges inward, then open up the overlapped corners and collapse them into triangles.
From there, fold the corners toward the center, and fold the triangular sections gathered at the center back outward.
Next, fold the outer edges so they become rounded, then open the triangular sections, fold them in half, and sharpen the tips.
Combine the three parts and you’re done!
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.
Super easy! How to fold a spinning top
Here’s an easy way to fold a spinning top that even small children can make.
First, fold it into a triangle twice and open it back up.
Once open, fold all four corners toward the center.
Fold each of the four edges slightly inward.
Using the creases you made, fold the center corners outward.
Fold the triangular parts inward.
Finally, make firm creases so that the square lines become the top’s axis.
If it spins well, you’re done! The folding method is simple, so if it doesn’t spin well, try sharpening the creases or making small adjustments.
It's fun to spin around! A collection of handmade toy ideas (21–30)
How to fold customizable game pieces
This simple-design top consists of three parts: the upper and lower bodies, and the handle.
For the top part, fold the origami sheet into a square twice to make creases, then unfold it and fold all the edges clockwise starting from the right edge.
After folding the top edge last, tuck the right section underneath the first edge you folded.
Then flip the paper over and do one cushion fold to finish.
The bottom part can be made using just the basic cushion fold.
For the handle, make one cushion fold, then add fine creases and fold it so the corners stand up, forming a pinwheel shape.
After stacking and assembling the parts, insert any shape you like between the upper and lower parts to customize it to your taste!