A Japanese Fan Decor (Pi Themed)

Hi there, I think you've seen those small hand fans used in Japanese and Chinese culture. Recently I came to know that these have bigger versions too which is used as wall decor. so i thought why not make my own fan decor. and make the designs on the fan using pi as pi is truly unique. I started to brainstorm how to utilize pi and came up with this method shared in this instructable.

Materials

4mm thick plywood (67 cm x 26 cm)

A 4 inch nail, a nut (that can go through the nail easily), some wire nails( 1/2 inch nails)

2 Kraft papers( 4 feet x 2 feet)

Fabric paint ( as many shades available)

Tools

Circular saw or jigsaw (to cut 4mm plywood)

Drilling machine

2 feet scale (could be 3f too)

Sand paper (80 grit)

Pencil

Scissors

compass

Protractor

Adhesive glue

Masking tape

Paint brushes( size 2 for fine lining, size 5 and size 12 for bigger spaces)

Preparing the plywood

At first I took the 67cm x 26cm plywood and draw straight lines across the breadth to make thirteen 2cm x 67 cm plywood cutouts. I cut the plywood using a circular saw as per the marking. then using a sand paper I smoothened the corners of the long plywood cutouts. (Refer image 1, 2,3 )

Now I measured 7cm from one end of the 2cm x 67cm plywood cutouts and marked the Point there. Did the same for all thirteen cutouts.(Refer image 4,5 )

I drilled holes on all the marked points and stacked those together so that the 4inch nail could easily go through the holes.( use a drill bit that is slightly thicker than the nail. And make sure that after putting the nail the ends of the stack of the long cutouts are even)(Refer image 6,7 )

Then to make the nail fixed in the stack I put a nut on the nail and hammered some 1/2 inch nails in between the gap of the nut and the 4 inch nail. Made sure that the nail is fixed properly and the long cutouts are movable .Then I cut the extra nail that was protruding beyond the nut. (make sure that the long cutouts are movable( rotatable) ,not too tight or too loose)(Refer image 8,9,10 )

preparing the back side of the fan

First I took the 4feet x 2 feet kraft paper and drew a straight line across the length in the middle of the length.(Refer image 1 )

Then using a protractor (keeping the middle line in 90 degree angle) I marked the points on every 15 degree(15 degree, 30 degree ,45 degree and so on) totaling thirteen points including the middle one. (Refer image 2 )

Now I drew straight lines of 60 cm that passes through one end of the middle line and the 15 degree angle points. The drawing would look like thirteen lines are diverging from a single point .( I will be referring this point as 'diverging point' for easier explanation)(Refer image 3 ,4 )

On each of the thirteen lines i measured 22cm from the 'diverging point'.(Refer image 5 )

Now I drew an arch on all the 60 cm mark(which are the other ends of the straight lines) of the straight lines and another arch on all the 22 cm mark of of the straight lines.(Refer image 6,7 )

Finally I cut the kraft paper along both the arches.(Refer image 8 )

Preparing the front side of the fan

First I spread the 2nd kraft paper and temporarily attached it on the floor using masking tape so that it doesn't move . Then I placed the kraft paper cutout on the it and traced it, also traced both endpoints of the 13 straight lines as per the 1st paper cutout. Then I removed the paper and joined the marked points to make an exact replica.(Refer image 9,10 )

Creating design using digits of pi

To make the design , I measured 3cm, 1cm, 4cm,1cm,5cm,9cm,2cm and 5cm (which are the first 9 digits of pi 3.14159265) from the smaller arch end of the cloth and marked the points, did the same marking on all the thirteen diverging lines. After marking the points, on the first line(base line) I started to draw half circles first taking 3cm as radius, then 1cm as radius ,4cm and so on till the 6cm .Then on the second line(above the base line) just like the first line drew full circles taking the digits of pi as radius in cm.(Refer image 11,12, 13,14,15 )

Similarly did the same on all the straight lines creating a circular pattern design using pi.

To make the circular pattern design more unique I will be using pi to paint it.

To paint, first assign each radius of circles with a different color. Like for example circle of 3cm radius =blue, 1cm= green, 4cm= violet. So I assigned each 9 digits of pie with a specific color.

I used for 3cm= brick red, 1cm=light blue, 4cm=dark blue, 5cm=sap green,9cm=brown,2cm= mild orange, 6cm=dark green, 5cm=violet.( you can assign any color as you like)

Then I painted each circles as per their designated radius color. I started painting the circles from the small arch side as per the image.( first paint the circle of 3cm radius then 1cm and so on just like drawing the circles, in that order. But here after painting one circle the next circle shouldn't overlap the previous one on the same straight line. But the circle of same radius(the above circle) can overlap each other. And also while painting keep in mind you have to paint the outline so leave a bit of the circle marks to later recognize where the circles have overlapped. It would be faster to paint all the circles of the specific radius, then moving to the next one.) (Refer image 1,2,3,4,5,6)

After filling the circles with specific colors I painted outlines of the circles with metallic gold fabric color using size 2 brush.( Refer image7,8)

First I spread the kraft paper cutout ,then place the plywood stack over it and rotate the plywood lengths referencing along the straight lines on the paper cutout. Attach it using glue. (start by gluing the bottom plywood length first along the left base line as per the image ,then glue the above plywood lengths one after the other from left base line to right base line.)(Refer image 1,2,3 )

Now I glued the other cutout over the paper-plywood assemblage joining along the 1st paper cutout.(use the glue just above the plywood lengths and along the middle of the paper cutout, so that it's easier to fold later)(Refer image 4,5,6)

After the glue is dried, I started folding it from one side as per the image . These folds give it a more fan like look. Now if you look closely in the completed fan i have sneaked another version of pi.( measure from the point where the plywood lengths are attached by nail, in upward direction up to the cloth element it's 22cm and below to the end it's 7 cm. thereby creating the 22/7 approximate ratio of pi)

Finally the fan is ready to decor your home.

I hope you find this instructable interesting and try to make your own fan decor.