DIY: Paper Cup Spinning Top | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Paper Cup Spinning Top

Stem Activities

Ages: 6-8

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Do you know how spinning tops maintain their balance? Create a colourful spinning top toy from a used paper cup and discover how tops use their centre of gravity and spinning speed to stay balanced.

Materials Needed

Paper cup
Cotton bud
Scissors
Marker pens
Pencil
Ruler

An assortment of craft supplies is neatly arranged on a light wooden table. The items include a small paper cup, two cotton swabs, a pair of scissors, three white markers with green, orange, and red caps, a pencil, and a clear plastic ruler. The overhead view suggests these items are ready to be used for a craft project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Place the paper cup upside down and use the ruler to draw 4 intersecting lines as shown.

A small white paper cup is placed upside down on a light wooden surface. The bottom of the cup has lines drawn on it, dividing it into eight equal sections, like slices of a pie. This suggests preparation for a craft project involving cutting or folding.

Step 2

Mark 8 points at the ends of the lines, then draw 8 vertical guide lines down from these points, perpendicular to the cup's rim.

A small white paper cup is upside down on a light wooden surface. Lines are drawn on the bottom of the cup, dividing it into eight sections. Additional vertical lines are drawn on the sides of the cup, aligning with the lines on the bottom, indicating planned cuts or folds for a craft project.

Step 3

Using scissors, cut along the guide lines on the cup's sides. Leave 0.5cm uncut at the bottom of the cup.

A hand holds a small white paper cup against a light wooden table. Scissors are cutting along a line drawn on the cup. The cup has several vertical lines marked on it, indicating it is being cut into sections as part of a craft project.

Step 4

Place the cut cup on the table with the base facing up, as shown.

Two hands flatten a cut paper cup on a light wood surface. The cup has been cut into eight triangular segments, which are spread out like the spokes of a wheel, connected at the center circle of the cup's bottom. This shows a stage in progress of a paper craft project.

Step 5

Use marker pens to colour the cup in your favourite colours.

On a light wooden table, a flattened paper cup, cut into eight segments, is being colored. The segments, radiating outwards from the cup's base, are being colored with shades of yellow, orange, and red, creating a gradient effect on each segment. A hand holding an orange marker is coloring one of the segments. This image captures the process of creating a colorful paper craft.

Step 6

Cut a cotton bud to 3.5cm length.

A hand holds a cotton swab horizontally over a light wooden surface. Scissors are positioned to cut the cotton swab in half. The image focuses on the action of cutting the swab, likely for a craft or other project.

Step 7

Insert the cut cotton bud into the centre of the cup's base.

Two hands hold a paper cup flower craft against a light wooden background. The flower, made from a cup cut into segments and colored in shades of yellow, orange, and red, has a light blue center. One hand holds the flower while the other inserts a small wooden stick into the center, likely to create a stem or spinning mechanism.

Step 8

Try spinning the cotton bud - does your paper cup top spin?

A hand is shown assembling a colorful flower craft made from a paper cup on a light wooden surface. The flower's petals, cut from the cup and colored in a gradient of yellow, orange, and red, surround a light blue center. The hand is pressing the center of the flower, likely securing a piece that has just been added, such as a small stick or pin to create a stem or spinner.

The Science Behind It:

A spinning top's stability refers to its ability to maintain its position in space without falling or wobbling. As long as an object spins fast enough, it will remain stable. The spinning speed of an object is called its angular momentum. The greater the angular momentum, the more stable the object becomes and the less likely it is to fall or wobble.

Try adjusting the spinning speed or centre of gravity of your top - what changes do you observe?

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We’re a passionate team of scientists, engineers, and educators dedicated to delivering hands-on fun. Our mission is to inspire creativity and confidence in the next generation of young innovators.