Toothpick Windmill

• Download and print the windmill template.

Make a row of toothpicks

• Place some toothpicks in a row and straighten them with a ruler.

• Put some tape along the row, so they don't move.

• Flip the row over and spread glue across the non-taped side, smearing it across all of them.

• Leave to dry for at least an hour. 

Assemble the windmill parts

• Place the windmill template in the clear sheet protector.
• Pour about a dime-sized (5p-sized) portion of glue onto the plastic in an empty area of the template.
• Dip the ends of the toothpick in the glue and lay them down 1 at a time on the plastic along the outlines of the windmill shapes, overlapping the tips. If they are moving too much, tape them in place first.

• For the windmill fan, cut the toothpicks to size, if necessary, and carefully arrange them on the plastic. 

Integrate the toothpick rows

• When the row is dry
  • remove the tape
  • spread the glue on the side which hasn't been glued yet
  • allow to dry.

• When the row is dry, cut the row into the right size and shapes to be used for the thicker shapes of the template, such as the blades of the fan and the square.

• Cut lengthways along the row to assure uniformity. Glue them in the appropriate place on the template, always remembering to keep the ends touching.

• When cutting the triangle shape, cut away from the grain. If you cut into the grain, the toothpicks will fall apart.

  • Flip it over to cut the other side of the triangle and attach it to the template.

  • Allow everything to dry for an hour.

Assemble the segments of the toothpick windmill

When dry, the segments should lift off easily, as glue does not stick to plastic.

• Remove excess glue.

• Begin assembling base segments, using pieces of masking tape. The 2 taller base segments should be directly opposite each other.

• Apply small amounts of glue to the sides of the base segments to secure them. (Try not to get glue on the tape).

•  After the windmill fan is dry, cut a toothpick to fit across the central inner wheel.

• When all of fan is dry, glue the tail to the central toothpick that you've just attached and use some tape to hold the fan in place.

•  Use the tower to support the fan and tail until the glue dries, which will take up to 2 hours.

Finish the toothpick windmill

• When the glue is dry, remove the tape from the tower base.

• Place the square over the top of the tower and apply a small amount of glue to secure it in place.

•  Glue the fan and tail segment to the top of the tower, again holding it in place with tape. Find the center balance point.

• Leave to dry for 2 hours.