Name: Patriotic Windmill Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Cake Mix; Cupcake Pan; Cupcake Liners; or 6 Prepared Cupcakes ( with patriotic liners); White Frosting; Patriotic Sprinkles; Patriotic Papers; 6 Paper Fasteners; 6 Sucker Sticks; Hot Glue Gun

Jump to Recipe

Let this red, white, and blue paper topper help you celebrate the 4th of July with these easy-to-make Patriotic Windmill Cupcakes. These crafty windmill toppers lend a fun and festive element to these cupcakes and are a craft that the kids will love to make!

When you’re making dessert for a themed holiday, like Independence Day, it’s always acceptable to elevate the occasion with extra decor. In this case, a handmade windmill made from patriotic paper is just the element that will add a little flair to the cupcakes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe And Craft

minimal ingredients, supplies, and effort
you don’t need to be crafty – the instructions are easy
this is a great craft that you can customize for other occasions
the kids can help!

Ingredients And Supplies Needed

Note: This makes 6 cupcakes and toppers, but you can easily double or triple them if needed for a party.

6 Prepared Cupcakes – either make or purchase them pre-made. I like to use vanilla cupcakes and I make sure to make them or set the store-bought in patriotic cupcakes liners.
White Frosting – either homemade or store-bought.
Patriotic Sprinkles – I use a red, white, and blue mixture for maximum impact.
Patriotic Papers – I use double-sided printed paper like this.
6 Paper Fasteners – to secure the folded sections of the paper in the middle of the windmill.
6 Sucker Sticks – I use lollipop sticks, but bamboo rods work well, too.
Hot Glue Gun – to secure the folded sections of the windmill.

How To Make The Paper Windmills

STEP 1: Cut six 2 ½ inch by 2 ½ inch paper squares.
STEP 2: Place a pencil mark in the middle of one square and cut diagonally from each corner towards the mark leaving a small section uncut.
STEP 3: Fold in the right-hand corner of each triangle and hot glue each section on the end.
STEP 4: Once all 4 corners are glued, push a paper fastener through the middle and close the back. Glue on a sucker stick and let dry.
STEP 5: Frost each cupcake and sprinkle with the patriotic sprinkles.
STEP 6: Place a windmill in the center of each cupcake.

Variations For Making The Cupcakes

While this recipe calls for prepared vanilla cupcakes and white icing with sprinkles on top, you can certainly change up the flavors and frosting colors. Here are two easy ideas:

Use red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese vanilla frosting and patriotic sprinkles
Use vanilla or chocolate cupcakes with swirled red, white, and blue piped-on frosting, no sprinkles are needed.

Pro Tip
If you don’t want to make cupcakes, purchase them pre-made in the bakery department of your grocery store. Around the holiday, they’ll have lots of patriotic options available and in some cases, you won’t even need to add the sprinkles! Just make the windmill toppers and you’re good to go!

Variations For Making The Windmills

While this craft calls for miniature paper windmills for a patriotic theme (I like to use double-sided printed paper like this), you can easily make windmills using paper in any color, solid or printed, for other events, such as birthdays, baby showers, anniversaries, seasonal parties, and graduations. Just choose the paper that best represents your occasion and make the toppers.

If you have kids that are really into crafts, consider letting them “make” the paper that you’ll use for the windmills. They can decorate, color, or draw on the paper that you’ll use, so it will be a one-of-a-kind windmill that you won’t find anywhere else!

Other Ways To Use The Patriotic Windmills

While this craft is explicitly made to be used as small toppers for cupcakes, here are a few ways to use them elsewhere.

Use them as party favors.
For a more formal gathering, use them in a place setting on top of plates or secured to place setting napkins.
Make larger versions with longer dowel rods and use them in a vase as a centerpiece.
Make much larger versions without rods and secure them on walls as decor.

Note
For larger versions, use heavier paper, such as card stock so the windmills will keep their shape.

Storage For Cupcakes

Any leftover cupcakes should be good for up to 3 days in a container with a tight-fitting lid on the countertop or in the fridge.

More Patriotic Recipes

American Flag Cupcakes
Red White And Blue Cake
Flag Poke Cake Recipe
Red, White, and Blue Dipped Marshmallows
Berry Firecracker Drink
20 Red White And Blue Desserts

Nettie is a wife and mother who is passionate about cooking and baking. With 5 children, Nettie insists that all meals, snacks, and desserts come together quickly! You will find a wide variety of easy yet scrumptious recipes on her viral website Moore or Less Cooking

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6 Cupcakes

Patriotic Windmill Cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

When you're making dessert for a themed holiday, like Independence Day, it's always acceptable to elevate the occasion with extra decor. In this case, a handmade windmill made from patriotic paper is just the element that will add a little flair to the cupcakes!

Ingredients

Cake Mix
Cupcake Pan
Cupcake Liners
or 6 Prepared Cupcakes ( with patriotic liners)
White Frosting
Patriotic Sprinkles
Patriotic Papers
6 Paper Fasteners
6 Sucker Sticks
Hot Glue Gun

Instructions

Gather ingredients and supplies needed.
Bake cupcakes according to directions on the cake mix box, make cupcakes from scratch, or use store-bought cupcakes.
Frost cupcakes with white frosting.
Sprinkle with patriotic sprinkles.
Cut six 2 ½ inch by 2 ½ inch paper squares.
Place a pencil mark in the middle of one square and cut diagonally from each corner towards the mark leaving a small section uncut.
Fold in the right-hand corner of each triangle and hot glue each section on the end.
Once all 4 corners are glued, push a paper fastener through the middle and close the back.
Glue on a sucker stick and let dry.
Place a windmill in each cupcake.
Serve and Enjoy!!