Paper Bead Spinning Top

Designed By Julie A. Bolduc

This Spinning Top is made from one sheet of card stock and really spins like crazy! This would make a great stocking stuffer and should sell well at your local craft fair!

Click here to Watch the Video at YouTube!
Click Here To Download the PDF Version
Click Here to Download the Zip File with Machine Cutting Templates

Materials Needed

• 1 Sheet Card Stock, 8-1/2" x 11"
• Provided Cutting Template ¹ Image Size: 7.941" x 10.5"
• Glazing Supplies
• 1 brad nail, 1" long
• 1 round toothpick
• E-6000 Glue or similar strong glue
• Permanent Marker to Match Card Stock
• Diamond Glaze²

Tools Needed

• Size 5/64" or #1 Paper Bead Roller
• Paper Cutting Tools
• Bead Glazing Tools
• Wire Cutters
• Emery Board or Sand Paper

Finished Size: About 1.5" x 1.5"
Skill Level: Intermediate, for those who have made paper beads before

Instructions
Step 1: Pick out your card stock and if you are printing your template out, lay your template on top of your sheets of card stock and cut them out all at once. Or if you are using a cutting machine, just cut your template following the cutting template. Seperate out your Extra strips, which are identified with an "E" on the map. Clip them together and set them aside to use later in another project as extra beads. Use your map to lay out your other strips in the order you are going to roll them. Notice the smallest strips are not butting up against each other. I did this to make it easier to cut them with the electronic cutters. The sizes of the strips are as follows.

1. The Core: 3" Long, 1.25"w x 1"n. 1 Piece
2. 5/8" at both ends 2 Pieces
3. 5/8"w x 1/2"n 2 Pieces
4. 1/2"w x 3/8"n 2 Pieces
5. 3/8"w x 1/4"n 2 Pieces
6. 1/4"w x 1/8"n 2 Pieces
7. 1/8"w x 1/16"n 2 Pieces

Step 2: Start Rolling Up your Top. Start with the center Core, piece number 1. Starting at wide end, roll to narrow end making sure you end up with a rounded edge at one end and a pointy end at the other end. The straight end should be the end that is slightly rounded. You do not want to center the narrow end to the wide end. This piece is sort of a cone bead shape piece.

Step 3: Layer the two number 2 pieces together so they are both facing the same way. Off set them about 1/2" and glue them together at the end you are going to join them to the core. Place this glued together piece on your core, just above the part of the core that goes down to a point. The Point is where the top spins so you need about 1/4" sticking out. The Other end is the handle where you actually spin the top. Wrap the 2 strips around, lining up the edge of the underside piece to the edge of the card stock on the core. The piece on the top should overlap the card stock on the core. Roll this up keeping the edges even and flush the whole way.

Step 4: Add strips 3 through 7 in the following way. Glue the wide end of the next strips to the strips just added lining up the edges of the strips to produce a smooth continuous surface working your way to the narrow most strips. I glue the whole last 2 narrowest strips down as I go but I do not glue Strips 2 through 7 as I go except at the very beginning and end of each strip so I can adjust it when I am done rolling. Remove from rolling tool. Make as many as you want.

Step 5: Use a round tooth pick or needle tool to smooth out the hole in the center if needed.

Step 6: Glaze your tops the way you want them. I use 2 coats of PC-Petrifier and 4 Coats of Liquid Laminate. Allow to dry overnight before going onto the next step.

Step 7: Dip your 1" brad nail into the tube of E-6000 and insert it into the bottom cone of the top until it stops. This is what the top will spin on! This also protects the edge of the card stock from wearing down.

Step 8: Dip one end of your toothpick into the E-6000 and then push it into the top of your top as far as it will go. Let the glue dry.

Step 9: With your wire cutters, cut off the excess toothpick so it barely sticks out the end.

Step 10: With your emery board or sand paper, sand the end of the toothpick smooth so it is rounded.

Step 11: With your colored marker, color the exposed end of the toothpick so it will blend in with the color of your spinning top.

Step 12: Pour a small dab of Diamond Glaze onto a scrap piece of paper and dip the colored toothpick tip in it to make the tip of the Spinning Top shine like the rest of your spinning top. Allow to dry before playing with your top! If you can wait that is!

NOTES:
1.The provided template has extra strips drawn on it for making regular 1/2" long paper beads. I didn't want to waste card stock so I added strips in 2 lengths. I have also provided a legend map so you can see what order to roll the strips and so you can identify the extra strips. The strips with color are the strips you will use for your Spinning Tops. There will be scrap. Some of the scrap strips may be wide enough for you to roll into tiny beads and some will not. The map will also show you in what order to roll your strips. With the exception of the center core, you will be rolling two strips together at the same time.
2. The diamond glaze is just for putting a finishing touch on the toothpick that gets tucked inside the hole in the top of the Spinning Top and then colored with the marker. It is not for glazing the whole Spinning Top. I recommend dipping your Spinning Tops in the PC-Petrifier and Vibrance for best results.

Design written on August 12, 2015. Copyright ©2015 By Julie A. Bolduc f206007

Spinning Top Updated!

March 4, 2024: I have updated the pdf and machine cutting files that go with this project. The svg files are more accurate and I have also made sure to include the files that will work in Pazzles Invue Software as well as Cricut Design Space. The height and width to for any cutting machine needs to be 7.941in by 10.5in.