Back in April my siblings and I threw a Travel themed retirement party for our parents. I was in charge of the decorations, which I did on a minimal budget. One of the key items I used throughout the decor was free maps that I picked up from a rest stop along the interstate! I used them to create flowers, bunting and these adorable Paper Airplane Centerpieces.

Time to Wander DIY Retirement Party

I heard from a lot of people on social media that this was their favorite part of the decor, so I thought it would be fun to share how I made them. They are really quite simple and inexpensive to make and can be used for all sorts of party occasions! Let’s get crafting!

SUPPLIES:

Paper Airplane Centerpiece Tutorial

Map or other paper
Bamboo Skewer
28 Gauge Steel Wire
Wire Cutters
Hot Glue Gun
Jar
Water Beads
Pencil or Paper Curler 

 

Fold 1 medium (about 6 inches long) paper airplanes  and 2 small ones (between 2-3″ long). If using a map, cut into rectangles prior to folding – approximately 6″L x 4″ W for the medium sized airplanes and 3″ x 1.5″ for the smaller ones. You can play with these dimensions to get the sizes you want.

Paper Airplane Centerpiece Tutorial

Hot glue the airplane to the top of a bamboo sewer. Cut a length of wire – approximately 11″. Find the middle of the wire, place the sewer in the middle and then wrap the wire around the skewer several times.

Paper Airplane Centerpiece Tutorial

Using a pencil or a paper curler, wrap one end of the wire around the utensil to create a curl in the wire.

Paper Airplane Centerpiece Tutorial

Remove the pencil and repeat on the other side.

Paper Airplane Centerpiece Tutorial

Hot glue the small airplanes onto each end of wire.

Paper Airplane Centerpiece Tutorial

Fill a jar with water beads, insert the skewer and you’re ready to party!