As we head into spring, many people are looking for fun, colorful DIYs to brighten up their days and get them excited for warmer weather. One of TikTok’s newest favorite crafts is making an electric fan into a “rainbow fan” by painting the fan blades rainbow colors. These fans are perfect for keeping cool and looking stylish, and can also get you a nice head start on rainbow items for Pride Month in June. If you’re looking for a way to get more color in your life this spring, here is how you can turn any electric fan into a rainbow one.
Some people were making rainbow fans by painting each blade the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple). However, TikTok user @cmycubes has pointed out an easier method that can give your rainbow fan even more colors. To follow their method, all you have to do is paint your fan blades magenta, yellow, and cyan.
“This would create not just the colors of the rainbow, but all 24 tertiary and all 12 secondary colors that exist,” the user explains. “Which is way cooler, if you ask me, but also less paint.” While a fan painted with the traditional colors of the rainbow will still look cool, having a variety of secondary and tertiary colors can bring your DIY to the next level and be a much more visually exciting look.
@cmycubes also explains how the three colors can mix together and create so many more colors. “Color mixes with all other color in your environment, so if colors are moving quickly, you can actually start to pick up different colors. It’s called subtractive color mixing.” Subtractive color mixing explains how just three primary colors can lead to green, blue, red, and many more colors.
To make your own rainbow fan, all you’ll need is an electric fan and magenta, yellow, and cyan paints. You’ll want to paint each color on each blade in the pattern, shown in a March 10 TikTok by @guttt.buddy. Then all you have to do is let it dry and then enjoy your new, colorful fan! For a simpler option, you can also paint one blade magenta, one yellow, and one blue. You may not see quite as many colors with this option, but it will still be beautiful.