DIY: Lolly Stick Fan | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Lolly Stick Fan

Stem Activities

Ages: 9-12

Greater than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Summer's here and as the weather warms up, you might find yourself collecting ice lolly sticks. Have you ever thought about making your own fan? With just lolly sticks, bottle caps, and a few simple materials, you can create one while learning some interesting physics!

Materials Needed

Hot glue
Plasticine
Scissors
Craft knife
Bamboo skewer (or wooden stick)
Three lolly sticks
Two bottle caps
Bottle cap ring
String
Paint
Pencil
Paintbrush
Palette
Ruler

An assortment of craft supplies is neatly arranged on a light woodgrain surface. The items include a yellow hot glue gun, a small lump of teal putty or clay, a pair of blue scissors, a pink utility knife, thin wooden sticks, a pencil, a blue paintbrush, a white paint palette, a clear plastic ring, two small white discs, a length of white string or twine, two small tubes of glue, and a clear plastic ruler. These materials appear to be laid out in preparation for a craft project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Using the ruler, measure the length of the lolly sticks and mark a small dot in the middle. You'll need to mark two lolly sticks.

Two hands are shown on a light-colored wooden surface. A clear plastic ruler is positioned horizontally, and a small wooden craft stick lies on top of it. One hand holds the ruler in place at the zero mark, while the other hand uses a blue pencil to mark a line on the craft stick, guided by the ruler. The image appears to depict the first steps in a craft project, measuring and marking a wooden stick for cutting or other modification.

Step 2

Use the craft knife to make a small hole at the marked spots on both lolly sticks, ensuring your skewer or stick can fit through.

Two hands are working with small wooden craft sticks on a light woodgrain surface. One hand holds a craft stick flat against the surface, while the other hand uses a pink utility knife to carefully score or cut the stick. A previously cut stick with a small hole near one end lies above, suggesting a step in a craft project involving cutting and modifying these wooden pieces.

Step 3

Paint the three lolly sticks in your favourite colours using the paint and brush.

Two hands are painting an orange craft stick on a light wood grain surface. One hand holds the stick while the other hand applies orange paint with a small blue paintbrush. The focus is on the process of painting the stick, likely part of a broader craft activity.

Step 4

Fill one bottle cap with plasticine.

On a light wood-grained surface, two small, white plastic lids or caps are positioned one above the other. To the right of the lids, a small lump of teal-colored putty or modeling clay rests. The simple arrangement suggests these items are ready to be used in a craft or other activity.

Step 5

Use a sharpened pencil to make a small hole in the centre of the plasticine-filled bottle cap. Repeat steps 4-5 to make two such caps.

Two hands manipulate small, white plastic discs on a light wood-grained surface. One disc already has a small hole in the center, while the other disc is being worked on. One hand holds the disc steady, while the other hand uses a blue pencil to either enlarge or create a hole in the center. This suggests a stage in a craft project where these discs are being prepared for assembly.

Step 6

Remove the plasticine from the caps and cut a notch in one of the bottle caps using scissors.

Two hands hold a small, clear plastic lid or container. The lid has a notched or cut-out section on one side and ribbed or textured inner surface. The close-up view emphasizes the detail of the plastic and the way it is being held, likely demonstrating a step in a craft or DIY project.

Step 7

Thread the skewer through the holes in the lolly sticks and apply hot glue at the intersection, then secure the other holed stick on top in a cross shape.

Two hands assemble a small structure made of colorful craft sticks on a light wood grain surface. One hand holds a small, round wooden dowel or stick, while the other hand positions a yellow craft stick with pre-cut slits. An orange craft stick lies nearby. The image captures the process of fitting the yellow stick onto the dowel, suggesting a step-by-step craft project.

Step 8

Thread the bottle cap without the notch onto the skewer.

Two hands hold a simple, assembled craft against a light wood grain background. The craft resembles a miniature airplane or windmill. It consists of a central wooden dowel or stick, with two crossed craft sticks – one yellow and one orange – near the top. At the bottom of the dowel, a small white plastic lid or base is attached. The image showcases the completed craft, likely the result of a step-by-step DIY project.

Step 9

Next, secure the string to the skewer.

Two hands work on a craft project on a light wood grain surface. They are attaching a piece of string or twine to a small, central wooden dowel. The dowel is fixed to a white plastic lid or base, and several colorful craft sticks – orange and yellow – extend outwards from the base. The image captures the process of tying or securing the string, a key step in the construction of this DIY project.

Step 10

Apply hot glue around the edge of the mounted cap, then thread the notched bottle cap onto the skewer and secure it. Remember to thread the string through the notch.

Two hands are constructing a craft on a light wood grain surface using a hot glue gun. One hand holds the craft, which consists of colorful craft sticks (orange and yellow) attached to a small white plastic lid or container. A wooden dowel extends from the center. The other hand operates a yellow hot glue gun, applying glue to the base of the dowel. A piece of string is also visible, likely part of the project. This image captures a mid-process step in creating the craft.

Step 11

Use hot glue to attach the remaining lolly stick to the bottle cap as shown.

Two hands manipulate a partially completed craft project on a light wood grain surface. One hand holds the main body of the craft, which consists of a small white plastic container or lid with a wooden dowel inserted through it. Orange and yellow craft sticks are attached to the container. The other hand holds a light blue craft stick, seemingly preparing to attach it to the assembly. A piece of string or twine is wrapped around the container and extends outwards, suggesting it will play a role in the finished craft's function.

Step 12

Tie the ring to the other end of the string. This will be your pull ring.

Two hands hold a length of white string or twine and a white plastic ring against a light wood grain background. The string is wrapped multiple times around the ring. In the background, partially out of focus, are colorful craft sticks (yellow and light blue), suggesting they are part of a larger craft project. The hands appear to be securing the string to the ring, indicating a step-by-step assembly process.

Step 13

Rotate the skewer to wind the string inside the bottle cap.

Two hands interact with a spinning, homemade toy against a light wood grain background. The toy resembles a small windmill or propeller. It features a central white plastic container or lid with crossed orange and yellow craft sticks forming the blades. A wooden dowel acts as the handle or axle. A light blue craft stick and a white string loop are also attached, suggesting they are part of the mechanism used to spin the toy. The blurred motion of the orange and yellow sticks indicates the toy is actively spinning.

Step 14

Pull the ring, and the fan blades will start spinning!

A hand holds a small, homemade toy resembling a whirligig or spinner. The toy appears to be constructed from a small, round object, possibly a bottle cap or button, attached to a light blue stick or handle. Yellow paper blades are affixed to the round object. A white string is tied to the handle and looped into a ring at the other end. The hand pulls the string back and forth, causing the yellow blades to spin rapidly, creating a blur of motion. The video demonstrates a simple DIY toy that can be made with readily available materials.

The Science Behind It:

When you pull the string, the force is transferred through the string to the skewer because the string is wound around it many times. As the skewer rotates, the fan blades attached to it spin, pushing air to create wind. It's like a pulley system using string and skewer to transfer force and make the fan move. The harder you pull the string, the faster the fan spins and the more wind it creates!

You might wonder why the pulled string automatically winds back. This happens because the string wound around the skewer creates an elastic energy storage system. When you pull the string, the stored elastic energy is released, and when you let go, the string quickly winds back as it tries to return to its original state.

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